Morning sun
by replayagain
Summary: AU. Voldemort has won. The captured prisoners are sold off. Hermione ends up being sold to Krum...
1. Chapter 1

The world in which we live in is a curious place. It can make us feel a myriad of positive feelings such as happiness and also make us smile and cure us, yet it can also make us sad and angry. Countless thoughts and memories whirl inside my mind, penetrating my heart as I remember watching Harry die, helpless as I tried to help him, to push away the death eaters who had grabbed me and shoved me to the ground before the countless attempted rapes occurred. I was one of the lucky ones who escaped that fate. The world is a curious place. Just like the weather, it can be very unpredictable. A thing that holds so much beauty with the potential to be cruel. The world is heartless.

"Move it you stupid bitch!" one of the many death eaters surrounding us shouted.

One of them raised his whip yielding hand and whipped one of the prisoners up ahead. I heard a cry of pain and desperate plea. Suddenly, the line stopped moving and a battle of angry shouts could be heard.

"Why did you fucking whip her so hard?" a sudden booming voice interrupted, breaking the argument.

If I trusted my ears, I believe that horrible voice belonged to Fenrir Greyback. He was the one who I saw mutilate the Patil twins' faces.

"She wasn't moving fast enough!" a death eater hissed.

"You killed her!" Fenrir growled. "Lord Voldemort won't be too pleased to find that we've got one less prisoner than we previously counted!"

A deathly silence soon covered us. The rattling of chains I had gotten used to was hardly there. Only the growls being emitted from Fenrir Greyback's throat could be heard.

The survivors of the war who had opposed Voldemort were chained up and forced to stand in a straight line as to make sure nobody could escape. My arms were tied around Luna's waist and hers were tied around Ginny's; the only possible way to move was to lean forward and walk slowly to avoid falling over. I didn't know who was behind me, but I had a feeling it was Neville. He had been rather silent today. I never knew him to be a quiet person.

"Don't just stand there you stupid lot!" Greyback suddenly shouted. "MOVE!"

The cracking of whips could be heard again. Cries of pain and sorrow could be heard. I only wished now that this was all entirely a dream. If only we had gotten to Nagini sooner, Harry wouldn't have died. Several more Horcruxes were made after his death to ensure Voldemort could live on. It was now only a fools dream to wish all of this away. We were all now truly living in a nightmare.

...

"Do you know where we are?" Ginny asked as the prison door shut.

"I don't know and I don't care," Ron mumbled, fumbling with his lame leg that had been brutally damaged by Nagini. "We're all going to die."

"Ron. We aren't going to die!" Ginny hissed as she stood by the door. The others were restless. "They wouldn't have kept us alive and brought us here in the first place and go through all that trouble if they were going to slaughter us in the end!"

"Maybe they are going through all that trouble to get more pleasure out of it!" Ron remarked.

"Ron! Try to stay positive!" Ginny pleaded.

"But Harry's dead! He wasn't the chosen one. He never was and he never will be. There was never a chosen one to destroy Voldemort! We're all going to die, Ginny! Every single fucking one of us!"

"Ron! Please don't talk about him in that way!" Ginny started to cry.

"We shouldn't start bickering amongst ourselves," I interrupted, trying to diffuse the situation. "We are all that we have."

Ginny, Ron, Luna, Neville and I were locked in one prison cell. Dean, Seamus and Lavendar were locked in the one opposite ours. Their cell was awfully quiet today. Nobody was being themselves.

I looked behind me to find Luna attempting to wrap her arms around Neville, only to be stopped by the ropes that tied her hands together. She sat next to him instead and rested her head on his shoulders. Neville turned his head around to kiss her hair.

"What do you think is going to happen to us?" Neville suddenly asked, speaking for the first time in two weeks.

"I don't know." Luna answered. "But as long as we are together, we will all be all right. Won't we Hermione?"

"Of course..." I had to say that. It was what I hoped for.

...

A small stream of light entered our cell from the tiny hole near the ceiling of our confinement. It was what told us that it was day now. The death eaters had made sure that we were all to stay in total darkness, so when they left us alone, they had gotten rid of every source of light.

"Are you guys awake?" I asked quietly.

I could tell that Ron was asleep since he snored when he was.

"We're awake." Ginny muttered. "Ron seems to be sleeping peacefully."

I stroked his hair after feeling my way through the dirty floor and sighed as I remembered the kiss that we had shared. "At least some people manage to find some sort of escape from this mess that we're in."

"Lucky bastard." Neville sneered.

"Don't you lot find it curious that Cho Chang disappeared all of a sudden?" Luna suddenly asked.

"What do you mean, Luna?" Ginny asked. "What about?"

"She does have a point," Seamus suddenly joined in. He had heard the entire conversation from the start. "I am awake, the others are asleep."

"What do you mean?" I asked Luna. "I don't get why you are suddenly bringing Cho up into the conversation. I mean she's hardly been with us."

"You see, right after Cho suggested that she take Harry to look for Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem and Ginny intervened, she disappeared." Seamus explained. "I didn't realise it at first but after Harry's death and the havoc afterwards... I realised she was gone. Like POOF."

"I saw her make her way out in a rather secretive manner. It was like she didn't want to be seen." Neville suddenly joined in.

"Well, she did a bloody well good job at it." Ginny muttered.

"Maybe she was one of the many casualties of the war," I suggested.

"When Fenrir Greyback told us to gather the dead bodies into the room and make a list of who had died, I didn't find her name in the Ravenclaw list," Luna said.

"I couldn't see her body either." Seamus said.

"She's probably in another cell." I suggested.

"Maybe..." Neville agreed.

Silence soon greeted us again. The tiny speck of light on the floor started to dance, appearing and disappearing as something outside periodically covered the hole. Soon, a pitter pattering began. It was raining outside.

"Is this really all happening?" I asked, suddenly feeling teary eyed. "Is this really all happening?"

"Oh, Hermione, don't start us all off," Ginny suddenly said, her voice cracking.

Suddenly, a miraculous chain reaction occurred. Anybody within hearing distance appeared to be crying. It was like the darkness and specks of light were doing something to us. Maybe there was going to be hope for all of us. Ron was sleeping peacefully. Could that be a sign of anything at all? I sighed. My logical side told me to stop kidding myself. This was all real. We were in hell.

"What is all of this wailing about?" Fenrir Greyback roared as a sudden blast of light filled the pathway that lay in front of our cell door. We could tell there was a blast of light as the tiny gap underneath our door was glaring brilliantly. "Fucking shut up!"

There was an immediate silence. The happenings of the war seemed to have trained everyone to pay dead attention to orders.

"Get up all of you!" another death eater shouted. "The Dark Lord requests everybody's presence in the open field."

"What do you think he wants?" a voice suddenly whispered.

It was Ronald's. He had woken up.

**A/N**

**An AU fic. Some of the character's may appear OC, but that is obviously because the war does things to people. Voldemort has won in my story and it is about what happens later on to my story's main character, Hermione Granger.**


	2. Chapter 2

We were chained leg to leg this time, so therefore had to walk like penguins. One of the prisoners further ahead of me had collapsed, causing everybody to fall over. The person turned out to be Professor Flitwick. He was immediately taken away, never to be seen again. I had a premonition that he was taken for dead. The death eaters probably did not find him of any use at all.

The open field were filled with a couple of hundred wizards and witches, the majority being purebloods. Voldemort was currently making a speech on what he was to do with us.

I could hardly hear a thing, feeling nauseous and dead. Ginny, who was trembling by my side, reached for my hand. I grabbed hers and slightly muttered a prayer that we would all be okay. Somehow, I had a feeling that we were going to be separated.

Suddenly the first row of people at the front started moving. I could feel Ginny trembling some more. A tear drop fell and hit the parched ground. It turned out to be mine.

"What's going on?" I asked, pretending not to cry.

"They're going to be sold." Ginny muttered.

"What?"

"We're all going to be sold."

"What happens if nobody wants to buy you?" Neville suddenly whispered.

"You will be tortured. If you're lucky, you'll left for dead." a voice answered. It was Draco Malfoy's.

"What's going on there?" another voice suddenly asked.

"I'll handle this." Draco replied hastily. He turned to face us, a look of pity and sadness somewhere deep in his eyes. "I'm sorry this had to happen."

"Damn right you are." Ron growled.

Draco held his wand out threateningly and pressed it against Ron's throat. "Don't make me hurt you."

"SOLD!" a voice suddenly boomed.

I looked over at the makeshift stage that had been created. It was Lavender Brown. She was sold to Fenrir Greyback. I felt sorry for her as she turned into a ghostly pallor that could be seen from where I was. She was then dragged away by her new owner, her screaming doing nothing to stop the pleasure that was now so evident on the werewolf's face.

"I reckon she's going to end up having his cubs." Draco muttered.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"SOLD!"

A fourth year whom I had once talked to was sold to Antonin Dolohov.

"This sale of you lot is partially to do with the population crisis the Dark Lord is currently having to deal with." Draco whispered. "But of course, they are only selling purebloods at the moment. Especially the female ones."

"What's going to happen to Hermione then?" Ginny asked.

Draco held a lost look on his face, another show of pity. I couldn't tell if it was genuine or not, but I knew for a fact that Draco wasn't really all that bad. He had never been more than a bully to me. He was a lost boy.

After a moment of hesitance, he walked away as if the conversation hadn't occurred and spat on the ground in front of Luna. He appeared to be telling her something, but I wasn't so sure. After that, he disappeared.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Ron suddenly whispered.. He held up both hands that were tied together and reached for mine. "You're going to be safe with me."

Three hours later, most of the purebloods were sold with the last of them being part of the row that I was standing with.

"Luna Lovegood." Peter Pettigrew yelled. It turned out he was the one who had been calling up all the purebloods onto the makeshift stage.

Turning to my side, I could see the look of agony on Neville's face as Bellatrix Lestrange led Luna to the stage. Tears were falling down his cheeks as she was examined and later stripped down until she was just in her undergarments.

"One galleon." somebody called out.

Laughter was suddenly evoked amongst the death eaters.

"Is that all she's worth?" Peter Pettigrew yelled. "She looks useful, young and... untouched."

"300 galleons." another yelled.

"That's more like it!" Peter Pettigrew said with a smile.

After several calls for how much they were going to pay, somebody yelled a number that caused everybody to shut up.

"100,000 galleons!"

A figure stepped onto the stage. It turned out to be Draco Malfoy.

"I wonder what young Malfoy wants with this lunatic?" Peter Pettigrew asked him.

Draco ignored him and paid what he had promised before taking his robes off to cover her. The last I saw of Luna was the back of her head as she disappeared with Draco down the steps of the stage.

Neville ended up being sold to Bellatrix Lestrange, whom I assumed only wanted him for her sadistic desires. Things didn't look too good for him.

"What ever happens, don't give up, Hermione, ever." Ginny whispered before she was led towards the stage.

There were several catcalls as she was examined and stripped down to her underclothes. The battle over her took forever as many of the death eaters wanted her, yet did not want to pay the amount that Draco had called out earlier for Luna Lovegood. She ended up being sold to Narcissa Malfoy, whom I assumed, only bought her upon the request of her son.

At least I knew that Ginny was going to be in safe hands. She had Luna to be with and Draco to look after them.

Michael Corner was sold to Crabbe Senior. It left Ron the only pureblood in our row.

He caused quite a scene at not wanting to be separated from me. The cruciatus curse had no affect on him, outwardly at least. It took Fenrir Greyback to threaten turning him into a werewolf to get him onto the stage. He was sold to Severus Snape.

All the half borns and muggleborns were rounded up and put into new rows. Some of the prisoners were already crying.

Numbers were put onto us akin to that of the way tattoos work, except the numbers would change if any of us were to perish. So if one of us died, the number or numbers on our left wrist would go down by one.

"You lot will be left in the whore houses." Peter Pettigrew announced. "Aren't you all very lucky?"

...

The room was dark. I could hardly see a thing. There were other prisoners with me, but they were hardly making a sound.

There was suddenly the sound of footsteps and the door that kept us stuck in swung open.

"Forty-five, get up. Avery requests your services."

I turned to find that it was Dean Thomas being called for. I could already see what was going to be done to him. Tears started to form in my eyes. I prayed that what was to happen to him didn't happen to me any time soon.

...

Dean Thomas came back bloody and half-dead.

"What happened to you?" Hannah Abbott asked.

Dean answered by collapsing onto the floor, barely breathing. An icy presence began to cover us.

"Shit." he mumbled.

**A/N**

**Thanks for the reviews. I can't promise updating immediately, but as of this week, I've got lots of time I think. Thanks for reading this!**


	3. Chapter 3

It had been just over a week, and somehow, I had never been called up for my services. Hannah Abbott had been called up several times; Dean Thomas every now and then. If I had to be honest about how they look right now, they hardly looked human.

The three of us had gotten used to each others presence, so much so that we could walk around in the dark without bumping into each other. They called me their lucky gem, seeing as nobody ever called for me. At least, it had been that way until today...

"Forty-seven, get up."

I didn't stand up immediately, having gotten used to not being called. A sudden slap on my face caught my attention. I could taste blood on my lips as my lip had been cut.

"What the fuck are you doing just sitting there?" Fenrir Greyback asked furiously.

He grabbed my arm and started to drag me out with him, just remembering to slam and lock the door shut as I managed to stand up properly. I was led several floors up before being taken to an elegant room. Apparently, apparating was impossible in this wretched building. Fenrir Greyback shoved me inside and locked the door behind me. The room appeared to be void of human presence.

Moving pictures of the history of a very blond family could be seen everywhere. It didn't take me long to guess whose family it was.

"Hermione!"

A sudden blur of dirty blonde hair told me it was Luna Lovegood.

"Hey?" I was thoroughly confused. I studied her appearance and saw that she was clean and well dressed, too clean and well dressed. "What's going on?"

"I'm not really sure," Luna said. "I'm just following my husband around."

"What?" Did Luna marry Draco? I felt sorry for Neville. He had told me about his plans of marrying Luna someday.

"Granger, take a seat."

I looked over Luna's shoulder and saw Draco Malfoy sitting behind a desk.

"I run this place." He explained. "Sit."

I walked over and sat down in front of him as he ordered. He offered me a sandwich, which I immediately accepted.

"Why am I here?" I asked him. "What's going on?"

"Granger, if you keep flaunting yourself in the manner you are now, somebody is going to figure out that I've been keeping you hidden from view. So please be a good bitch and feign being deprived of life."

"He's been protecting you." Luna explained quietly. "He's changed your number on the list several times so that nobody would ask for you."

"So you might as well pretend to be beaten down and broken like everybody else is." Draco hissed.

I held my head down low, suddenly feeling guilty that Hannah and Dean were going through what I should have been through too. Had they been sacrificed in my place? Was that why Hannah had been called up way too often? I was after all part of what had been the Golden Trio, the trio who had been hunting horcruxes with the aim of destroying Voldemort once and for all.

Some of the blood on my lips dripped onto my torn shorts. I couldn't be bothered to clean myself up. I had too much going through my mind.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked him, barely audible.

"Because Luna and Ginny keep pestering me." He said with a weak smile. The smile then disappeared. "You're being sold."

"What? To whom?"

"I don't know. Voldemort wouldn't say. Said it was for a special someone who has been very useful to him. Made you a special exception." Draco muttered. He suddenly held an apologetic look. "I just hope that you are going to be all right. I've never known Voldemort to be so lenient with mudbloods, especially a mudblood who was attempting to kill him."

"Can I ask how Ron's doing?" I asked, wanting to change the subject.

"He's doing fine- but he's not talking." Luna answered. "He vowed that he'd only talk if he gets to see you again."

"Oh..." My heart broke, inducing tears in my eyes. "What about Ginny? How is she?"

"My mother doesn't find her of much use since we've got enough houseelves." Draco muttered. "She said I could use her for extra warmth in bed if you know what I mean. Voldemort is getting desperate for kids."

"I heard that Lavender almost died from too much... Fenrir Greyback is so cruel..." Luna started before drifting off from the pain she was feeling.

I didn't want to hear the rest anyway.

"We'll try to get to you as soon as we can. Your new master's houseelf should be here soon." Draco muttered. "Luna and I are going to go over to my aunt to make sure Neville isn't dead yet. I'm going to try and buy him off of her."

I nodded. "How's Seamus doing? I haven't heard anything about him."

"Dead." was the answer I got from Draco and Luna.

There was a sudden 'crack'.

Draco looked over my shoulder and ordered our newcomer to walk over with his fingers. Our newcomer couldn't be human since human appariting didn't work here. He was given a letter from the awfully quiet houseelf to which he read immediately. His eyes widened.

"What is it, Draco?" Luna asked.

"Krum... Granger... he's your new master."

**A/N**

**New update. Thanks for the reviews!**


	4. Chapter 4

The houseelf took me with her as she apparated and she brought me to a flora filled environment. There were hardly any dead bodies around. We appeared to be somewhere near the top of a mountain. A little up ahead was a rundown mill. It looked as if it had not been used for years.

"Um, where are we?" I asked the houseelf.

"Missus oughts not to knows!" the houseelf rambled, speaking for the first time. "Master Krum speaks so!"

As we walked passed what appeared to be a warning sign, the houseelf muttered a spell and snapped her fingers, causing a miraculous transformation of what had been our view. The rundown mill was replaced by a castle, and I could see many statues of soldiers in armour here and there, placed symmetrically along the pathway that led to the front door. The magnificent view before us seemed so out of place; I had gotten used to the damage the war had done to the environment. The place was beautiful.

"Is... is Master Krum here?" I asked the houseelf.

"Shhhh!" was the given reply. "Missus oughts not to knows!"

The houseelf then grabbed my hand and urged me to walk faster. I wondered if my bare-feet could cope with the ground any longer. It stung like hell.

...

I was told to sit down on the green sofa by the houseelf in the living room and wait for Master Krum to arrive- not that I minded since my feet did hurt. The inside of the castle was awfully quiet and was quite the opposite from the splendid beauty outside. It was dark and gloomy, and the only source of colour appeared to be the sofa that I was on. Aside from the sofa, the only view to a form of hope and optimism appeared to be the windows that led to a view of where I had been earlier, the mountain and nature.

"Missus oughts to change!" the houseelf suddenly squeaked, running into the living room out of nowhere. "Master Krum is comings! Missus oughts to get washed!"

"Change into what? Where can I get washed?" I asked, but the houseelf vanished and ran off to another room.

It was strange to see the houseelf running as it could obviously apparate here and there. A thought then came to me that perhaps the castle held a sort of protective force that prevented apparition from all sorts of living beings, whether human or not.

I then wondered why Viktor Krum had bought me. We hadn't talked to each other or written to each other since I went looking for horcruxes. We had been close before then, telling each other anything and being so open- well I had been anyway. A sudden anger filled me as I wondered if he was the one who had revealed secrets about me to Voldemort, secrets about Harry and our mission, if he had played an integral part to the downfall of the Order of the Phoenix, and the downfall to the only hope we had against Voldemort. I then began to hate Viktor. Was he a death eater? Correction, is he a death eater?

Ron suddenly came to mind as I suddenly realised how lonely I was. I longed for his touch and goofy smile. Poor Ronald... I hope that he is stuffing himself full like he always had back before all of this happened. I didn't want him to get himself into trouble for my sake. I am a muggleborn after all.

"Master Krum looks for missus in the gardens!" a houseelf suddenly said. It wasn't the female one who had brought me here.

I followed the houseelf out of the living room, suddenly remembering that I hadn't changed like the female houseelf told me to. The anger I had felt earlier didn't appear to have dissipated yet, and I hoped that it wasn't going to affect how I was to react later, let alone converse if Viktor Krum was going to converse at all.

I walked what seemed like forever before getting to the garden. My feet were numb and killing me. It seemed so unreal to see such a place as all I had seen thus far since the search for horcruxes began was gloom and darkness. The myriad of colour brought a smile to my face, a smile I had not done since forever. Maybe being sold to Viktor Krum wasn't going to be so bad after all. If given the chance, I would have the garden to go to. I decided that it was to become my secret haven from now on. My only place of freedom.

"Leave us alone." a deep voice growled.

The houseelf obeyed and immediately left, seemingly frightened by the very presence of its master.

I saw Viktor standing in front of me- his back at least. He was dressed in fine black robes and what appeared to be dragon hide boots. His hair appeared to be longer, probably three inches longer since I last saw him. He looked different in general. I didn't know whether to think of it as a good thing or not.

He didn't say anything to me, at least not for the past ten minutes. We just stood there, listening to nature sing its longing for peace. It was a melancholy tune. I wondered if Ron could hear the same thing right now. We used to tell each other it was our lullaby every night before we went to sleep... before we had been separated. I missed him terribly and wanted to listen to him hum the melancholy tune.

"Are you okay?" Viktor suddenly asked.

His terrible accent was gone, but there were still remnants of it. Anybody could tell he was from Eastern Europe.

I didn't answer him. I didn't fear receiving punishment for my disobedience. I had been tortured before so being punished by Viktor would be more or less the same.

He turned around. I saw a stubble on his once bare face. His eyes were dark and appeared to be searching me, examining me. I felt naked all of a sudden and utterly violated. He was the only person who ever made me feel as if he could read me inside and out. I wondered if he knew what I was thinking, even without the use of legilimency. I began to feel nauseous as I wondered if he was using legilimency.

He walked over reached for my face, but I took a step back, surprised by such a gentle gesture. I hadn't been given such a gesture since being taken in as prisoner. In fact, I was expecting a slap on the face. I reached for my cheek to feel the imaginary sting. My skin was cold.

Thoughts of the torture Viktor may have inflicted on prisoners came to me, attacking innocent people and children along with the other death eaters in the most heartless of manners. What had been going through his mind? I had always thought that Viktor was a gentle being; but of course, I could or should I say must have been mistaken, seeing as most people lived behind a well built facade these days. I decided that I should be cautious around him. Who knows what he might want with me?

"You're a death eater." I hissed, deciding to break the silence. "When.. How.. Why didn't you tell me?"

He gave me a blank look, eyes darker than ever. Did I anger him? His behaviour and mannerism had always confused me but never so as much as today.

"You have blood on your lips and chin." he muttered. "Let me clean it for you."

"Don't touch me!" I squeaked, sounding rather desperate even to myself as I pushed his hand aside. I could feel blood rushing to my face as I thought how stupid I must have sound. I was supposed to sound menacing! "You're a death eater!"

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you." he told me, seemingly pained. "I-"

He stopped talking as he noticed something behind me and I could hear light footsteps making its way over to us. He took a step away from me before taking another step, as if for precaution and replaced the pained look on his face with a scowl. He looked away from me.

"Viktor, love, you never told me we were going to have a guest today. Why are you leaving her out in the cold?" a feminine voice suddenly said. After a few seconds, the voice continued. "Is she the gift the Dark Lord wanted us to have?"

I recognised the voice but couldn't point out where I had heard her before.

A slim and beautiful young woman held a small smile as I watched Viktor engulf her in his arms. His face still held the scowl and his eyes appeared to be void of emotion as the young woman returned the gesture by wrapping her arms around him. The height difference was very apparent. I had only noticed now that he had grown much taller since Bill and Fleur's wedding, if that was even possible. Her braided black hair loosened as he planted a kiss on the top of her head. Could it be? She turned around and gave me a bored look when I caught her eye.

It was Cho Chang.

**A/N**

**Fourth chapter. How was the last one? Did you like it? Thanks for the reviews and for reading my story! Wasn't expecting people to read such a dark fic.**


	5. Chapter 5

I stood silently near the edge of the dining room table as Cho Chang poured some Chinese tea into a porcelain cup. Viktor sat on one of the chairs furthest away from me, seemingly ignoring my presence. I was still shocked by Cho Chang's sudden appearance, as I truly thought that she had passed away. She soon poured herself a cup before settling down on her own seat. She took a sip from her tea and let out a sigh.

I stared at her, wondering if I was dreaming or hallucinating. She smiled at me as if wondering why I was not thinking about why she was even here in the first place, before offering me a seat to sit on and gave me the spare cup of tea she had poured.

"I thought you were dead." I said quietly after a while. "We all thought you were dead."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint." Cho said with a small smile before sighing again. "I guess it wasn't just Ginny who wanted me dead. Can't believe that bitch thought I was after her paranoid boyfriend."

My eyes widened, having not expected such a response from her. I had expected the conversation to start off rather awkwardly and slow. "I didn't mean to phrase my words that way... I am just wondering why you are here and still alive. We all thought you passed away during the war..."

"I diverted my allegiance when I was given a choice some way back." She said, her smile fading. Her eyes suddenly became absent of the brightness I had seen earlier and was replaced by a sense of dreading."But I'm sure you don't have the time to hear my mundane story. Why don't you drink your tea?"

I drank my tea as I was told to, orders becoming a reflex. It tasted bitter but was incredibly soothing. My headache abated as my body took in and relaxed to the smell of it.

"May I ask why you're here?" I asked, suddenly remembering the rather close greeting between Cho and Viktor earlier.

"I live here with my husband; we got married last week." she told me in a matter of fact way. "Why else would I be here? Were you expecting me to live out in a cell or something?"

I didn't answer her, deciding to accept her answer.

So she had married Viktor. How had I not known? Had I missed that much since I stopped writing to Viktor? And what was her connections to Voldemort?

"Viktor, don't be so rude and talk to Hermione. You two probably haven't spoke in a long time." Cho suddenly said. "Don't expect me to do all the talking."

Viktor placed his porcelain cup onto the table and stood up before leaving the room all together. He hadn't even uttered a single word.

Cho Chang rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about him. He's always like that. Hardly even utters a word to me all the time. He's quite a physical being don't you think?"

I nodded, remembering him as a talkative person given the right subject. He wasn't particularly loquacious if he was feeling uncomfortable or if he was bored. I took another sip from my tea. Her last sentence reminded me of a conversation I once had with Harry.

"Um, Cho?"

"Yes?" she asked.

"Why did you switch allegiances?"

"I don't want to talk about-"

"Please, Cho," I begged. "I need to understand why we failed- why Harry, Ron and I failed. We tried everything... We honestly did. I don't want reality to hit me and scream that all that we did and suffered for was for nothing. There has got to be a reason why we didn't succeed. Why the world is messed up as it is right now... Please, Cho."

She frowned and poured herself some tea as she pondered on my request.

"You don't know how much we suffered under the Carrows back at Hogwarts while you three were hunting for horcruxes." she suddenly began. "The amount of times we were threatened by werewolves and vampires. The numerous times we were tortured with the cruciatus curse... They threatened to kill my family..."

I looked at her and saw tears forming in her eyes, but something didn't feel right. I wondered if she was mixing the truth with some bits of fiction, or rather, covering up the most important of details with less vital ones, not that being tortures was nothing.

"Hermione, my parents are death eaters." Cho suddenly uttered. This was definitely the truth, as her eyes were wide and fearful. "I was raised to understand and believe their ideals and concepts, their passions and what their goals were and are. I tried... I really tried to be myself and grow up to be what I wanted to be. Obviously I failed... My mother worked for the ministry before the Dark Lord won... she was one of the few of his followers who had connexions to the Ministry of Magic, which explains how easily the MOM wavered these past few years before it's abolishment. I've grown up with the idea that one day Lord Voldemort would rule the world in whatever manner he desires- so much that it's ingrained into me as if it were to be and is my life. I can't go back now even if I wanted to. Voldemort's aims are my aims."

She suddenly turned to me and smiled. It scared me to see that her emotions switched so rapidly from being fearful to some sort of cheeriness.

"Would you like some more tea?" she asked.

I shook my head, suddenly feeling not thirsty.

"Snotty brought you here right? The female houseelf? I'll try and find you something to do. You must be bored?" she then said as she stood up. "I'm going to go look for Viktor. We can't leave the Dark Lord's gift with nothing to do, can we?"

I stood up as soon as I heard her second rhetorical question.

"Snotty!" she yelled.

A houseelf ran into the dining room.

"Yes, mistress?"

"Show Miss Granger to her room in the basement. Find her a cloth to clean the place with."

"Yes, mistress."

Cho then left the room, leaving us alone.

Snotty the houseelf appeared to be more cheery in the presence of Cho, her other owner.

The houseelf gave me a curious look before grabbing my hand and led me a couple of floors down to get to the basement. My new home... It was dark and I could hardly see a thing.

"Cloth!" Snotty suddenly squeaked.

The houseelf gave me a piece of cloth.

"Bucket of water!"

The houseelf gave me the bucket of water.

"Clean the room."

"But I can't see anything." I told the houseelf. "May you help me?"

"Mistress says not that Snotty helps! Mistress says to finds cloth for Miss Granger to cleans place!" Snotty the houseelf replied. "Snotty needs to tends to the gardens with Master Krum!"

I sighed as Snotty suddenly turned around and ran up the stairs. I guess that I was still going to be treated as a slave whether in the house of a 'friend' or not. What was everybody else doing? Had Draco really gone over to his aunt's to save Neville?

**A/N**

**An almost dark-less chapter. I guess I can't let this story be dark in every chapter, because it would end up being too depressing! Thanks for keeping up with my updates!**


	6. Chapter 6

About two months had gone since I arrived at Krum Castle and my time was spent from cleaning every nook and cranny of the castle with Snotty and Goff (the other houseelf) and spending time alone in my dark room or the garden. Cho Chang and I talked every now and then, but that was only when she had time. Viktor didn't, or should I say, wouldn't speak to me at all. It was as if I was like something disgusting to him, something revolting. It made me think if he really thought of me as a mudblood, a useless piece of tainted human flesh.

"Missus Hermione! Missus Hermione!" Snotty yelled as she ran into my room. We were now on first name terms considering the amount of time we spent together. "Mistress Chang wants to eats lunch with you! We has guests!"

"Who's here?"

"Draco Malfoy and his missus!"

My eyes widened. They must have finally come to visit me!

...

"So I assume you have been taking good care of Granger." I heard a rather pompous voice sneer as I neared the entrance to the dining room. The speaker wasn't asking a question but a statement.

"Obviously, I have. I wouldn't have given her a room otherwise." a young woman replied. It was Cho. "Why do you of all people think I'd be horrible to her? You know what a good girl I am." There was a pause for a moment. "How's Neville doing, Luna?"

"He was in a horrible bloody mess when Draco and I got to him. He looked so greatly troubled." Luna told her slowly. "Actually, he's in a coma."

I could hear the obvious pain in Luna's voice. Her feelings for him hadn't wavered and was still existent. I wonder how she copes with being in the same house, let alone room as her husband and love?

"Mistress! I has done your willings!" Snotty suddenly said cheerfully, deciding that now was the right time to announce my arrival. She put her hands onto my leg and pushed me into the dining room.

Having not expected such as sudden entrance, I lost balance and fell onto the ground. One of my cuts opened up again.

"Fucking piece of shit! Apologise to her!" Draco growled as he suddenly stood up, slamming his drink onto the table.

Snotty was incredibly surprised by the reaction of the person of high status as far as I could see, seeing as her facial expression glared wide eyes. Snotty had probably never been treated that way before.

"Oh do calm down, Draco," Cho said through her yawning. "She only fell over." She turned to Snotty. "Help her up and clean up her wound. I am very disappointed in you."

Snotty held her head down low and nodded.

...

"She's not all that bad," I answered Draco. Cho wasn't with us as she had some meeting to attend. "I guess she's just afraid that she might be found to be a bit too nice to me by the sudden appearance of some other death eater. She could get in trouble for that, we were friends back at Hogwarts after all."

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed. "That does make sense, but still..."

"She hasn't been stable since the death of her late boyfriend, Cedric Diggory," Luna said, agreeing with me. "Hermione falling over earlier was just an accident."

"I'm just worried that Hermione's going to get hurt." Draco muttered. "You've seen what my aunt did to Neville. He's been mutilated beyond belief."

"Cho hasn't done anything to me." I said. "Well, nothing degrading or damaging anyway."

"If you say so."

I grabbed a piece of bread from the table and began to eat. Draco and Luna followed suit, our conversation having dissipated.

"Do you two have any news for me?" I then asked.

"Well, Katie and Ginny is expecting," Draco answered. "Lavender is also expecting... a cub."

"You got Ginny..."

Draco nodded, face filled with a mixture of agony and grief tainted with happiness. "Yeah, I did."

"Congratulations." I told him.

I watched as Draco reached for Luna's hand before slipping his fingers through hers. He didn't seem as delighted as I expected him to be, almost as if he didn't want Ginny to be pregnant.

"You should have seen the look on Voldemort's face when Fenrir Greyback announced that his prisoner is expecting." Draco suddenly said. "Voldemort's promoted Greyback up a rank. He won't be dragging the 'whores' in and out of the whore house anymore."

"Oh..."

Draco suddenly looked me dead in the eye. "Has Krum done anything horrible to you?"

I blinked. "Um, no."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm telling the truth. We've hardly even talked."

"After all this time?" Luna asked, equally surprised as Draco.

I nodded.

"Well... he's bound to do something to you sooner or later." Draco muttered. "He wants you to be curious about his reticent-ness."

"I doubt that. He's hardly around the castle anyway."

"If you say so."

"Shouldn't you two be leaving by now?" Cho suddenly said, entering the dining room.

I had thought she had left the castle. I guess she must have returned for something.

Draco looked at Cho blankly before reaching for Luna's hand. "We'll be seeing you two soon."

...

One month had passed since the 'lunch' with Draco and Luna and things were more or less the same in terms of my treatment in Krum Castle, although Cho and I were talking more now.

I had talked to Viktor a couple of times, although it was merely a word or two each time. I had accidently bumped into him a couple of times when turning around a corridor, and so muttered apologies.

Right now I was in the garden, tending the flowers with Cho.

"I can't believe this." Cho muttered, as she accidently poured too much water onto the roses.

It was nearly nighttime now. The sun was setting, sending an array of warm colours onto us.

"Believe what?" I asked.

"That Katie, Ginny and Lavender are pregnant." she told me. "I've been told today that Luna and some other bitch is also pregnant."

I sighed. "The main reason why the pureblood prisoners were sold was for that very purpose."

A chill slipped into me starting from my toes as the purpose really hit me. It was actually happening.

"But Lavender?" Cho suddenly clenched her fists. "You don't know half the torture Fenrir Greyback puts her through... even with the stress and pain after all of that... the countless physical and mental abuse... she managed to get pregnant? Her body shouldn't be functioning properly! She should be dead by now!"

I wondered what was getting Cho's wand in a knot. I raised an eyebrow before frowning. Was I the only who actually wasn't being properly abused?

"You see... I've been trying to have a baby with Viktor and I haven't been successful as you can see." Cho suddenly said.

"It's only been... three months or something since you two started living together." I muttered. "You've got plenty of time."

I then noticed how she had said 'I'. What did she mean?

Cho rolled her eyes. "Sure, sure. I've got loads of time. But the Dark Lord doesn't. I need to present him a bloody baby if I want to reinstate my family's name back into lit pathway. He's leaving my family in the dark." she puffed out some air. "And Viktor's hardly around the house..."

"Why is it so important to elevate your parent's status?" I asked her.

She glared at me. "Of course, you don't know what's happened to my mother and father do you? I can't be bothered to explain everything so I'll get straight to the point. The reason why I married Viktor was because of my parents' demotion. He ranks pretty high up and he was as free as a bird so I took that as an opportunity to save my family. Got him to marry me as soon as I could. Took forever and I'm hoping it was worth the trouble." she gave me a strange look. "You've seen what the Dark Lord's done with Greyback. Rumour has it that even Lavender Brown status has been elevated."

"But isn't being alive good enough already?" I asked her. "Your safe and perfectly on his side, what more could you want? I'm a bloody slave!"

"I don't care what you have to say. To live in the world that we do now- we need to grab opportunities and thrive under it, otherwise, I'd end up like you." she said. "I want to have a baby, but I can't, because can't keep Viktor around the house."

"Why won't he stay?" I asked.

"He said he prefers to stay out in the cool air and fly." she muttered. "But I don't believe him. I can't ever tell what the hell he's thinking." Her eyes suddenly brightened. "Could you help me with something?"

I was used to her erratic mood swings. "Sure."

She put something into my hand. "Slip this into his coffee when he gets back home. It'll keep him here for about two days or something." She looked me in the eyes. "Would you do that for me?"

One thing I hadn't actually done was interact with Viktor whilst I was here, apart from my first day here and the occasional bumping into. I then realised that the only person I had never served ever since I was a slave was Viktor. But she seemed so desperate...

Before I even thought through properly, I answered her. "Okay."

...

I poured the liquid into Viktor's coffee before heading for the stairs. He had arrived a couple of minutes ago. My heart pounded roughly as my thoughts kept hinting at what the liquid Cho gave me was. After going up two flights and turning a couple of corners, I reached the small room that he liked to stay in. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

There was no answer.

I knocked again.

"Cho, I told you to fucking leave me alone." a voice growled. "I'm trying to think."

"Um, c-coffee." I blurted out.

The door suddenly opened and Viktor's towering figure soon stood in front of me. I looked up at him and could feel my body freezing up. He scowled at me as he waited for me to speak.

"Your coffee." I squeaked.

"Did Cho ask you to bring this to me?" he asked. He looked suspicious.

"N-no." I lied.

He looked me in the eye for a long time before sticking his calloused hand out. His gaze sent shivers down my spine as I wondered what was going through his mind. It took me a while before I noticed his hand.

I passed him his coffee, and when I did so, our hands met. For a moment time seemed to freeze and I could sense a whirl of emotions inside of him. I sensed fear, anger, hate, and a longing for happiness. I quickly withdrew my hand as soon as I was sure his hand was wrapped securely around the cup.

"You brought me coffee." he said. A small smile appeared on his face. "Thank you."

I could tell that he wanted to say more, but appeared to be hesitant to do so. He took a sip from his coffee before shutting the door in my face.

I sighed. At least I had done what I was told. I really hoped the liquid I poured into Viktor's coffee wasn't what I thought it was.

**A/N**

**Latest update. Hope you all like it.**


	7. Chapter 7

As soon as I woke up to darkness, I made my way to the bathroom to wash myself before walking over to the garden to see the beautiful view of the rustic mountains. The sun was rising and appeared to spill its red paint onto a white canvas, signaling the arrival of morning. Although beautiful, I was reminded of the countless bloodshed that had occurred since the beginning of the war. Had it really been all for nothing? I could feel the warmth of the rays on my skin, and wondered what all the other slaves could see and feel. Were Dean and Hannah okay? Could they see the view of the sky that I could see, or were they still locked up in darkness?

I always felt bad when I woke up in the morning, because I woke up knowing that I was safe and not going to be hurt, even if it was really dark. Dean and Hannah on the other hand... Was Neville getting better? I really missed talking to Luna and Draco. And how was Ron? I couldn't believe how I had forgotten to ask Draco about Ron! Was he all right? Was he eating? Was he sleeping well?

I sighed as I realised that I didn't miss him as much as before. I hadn't felt his touch in so long, seen his gorgeous smile or his eyes... I wondered if I was still in love with him, or whether the burst of love that had so suddenly formed between the two of us was the result of the war, and how everybody longed for freedom and a closeness to one another...

I lifted my right hand up and reached for the sun, hoping that it would take me away with it. The sun was so free all the time; did it ever feel bad that it was allowing us to see the destruction around us with its bright light? I sighed. Of course, the sun wasn't a living being, it had no feelings. Looking back down at the budding flowers, I realised I was beginning to feel thirsty...

...

"Bitch!"

Cho slapped my face as soon as I entered the living room. A month had gone since I poured the liquid into Viktor's coffee.

I was shocked and immediately reached for my burning cheek. My eyes were wide open as I felt the sting feel greater under my hand. I had never seen her so violent before. What had I done?

"Why am I not pregnant?" Cho asked as she levitated a chair towards me with her wand. "Sit down."

I sat down, feeling slightly frightened by what Cho might do to me. I then wondered if they even had sex at all. "Did you two-"

"Yes! Duh! That was the whole point of the stupid thing I gave you!" she cut me off. "A fucking love potion, only that it's been slightly altered with bits of my own secret ingredients. What the fuck, Hermione? Did he not drink it?"

"He did-"

"Did you drink it?"

"No."

"Don't lie to me! Have you been seducing him behind my back-"

"NO! Of course not!"

"DON'T YOU DARE YELL IN MY FACE!"

I couldn't believe she could even think that I would do such a thing!

"Maybe there is something-"

"You think there is something wrong with me?" She glared at me. "How dare you!"

"I don't mean it in a bad way-"

She slapped my face once more before slumping down onto the green sofa I had sat down on, on my first day at Krum mansion. She began to cry furiously, covering her face with her hands.

Of all of Cho's sudden mood swings, I had never seen her like this before. Sure I had seen her crying, I had seen her angry, I had seen all sorts of emotions, but never all in one facial expression. Her antics were scaring me.

"I'm sorry." she suddenly whispered when her crying died down. "I didn't mean to hurt you. But you have to understand how much this means to me."

"Of course..." I said quietly.

"Do you?" She asked. "Be honest with me. Do you know what it's like to want something so bad yet you can't have it? You have to understand I'm not doing this for myself. I really need to help my parents."

I nodded.

She smiled at me. "I'll be right back then."

Cho stood up and made her way out of the living room. Soon a door slammed shut and it's noise echoed through the entire mansion. Cho must have left the mansion, I thought, because the only door to make such a noise was the entrance to the mansion.

...

"You were right. There is something wrong with me." Cho groaned as she lay back down on the sofa. She turned to look at me. "Sorry about your cheek."

I brought her the salad I had made whilst she was out and she immediately began to eat. I didn't want to acknowledge her apology just yet.

"Did you get yourself checked?" I asked quietly.

"Yes."

"Do the other death eaters know?"

"Of course not! Are you fucking crazy?"

"Where did you-"

"That'll be a secret. Can't tell you, love."

I could tell that Cho had been crying some more, especially after finding out she couldn't get pregnant.

"Why can't you-"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay..."

Cho passed me her empty plate. "Get this washed up. I need some fresh air."

She then stood up and left me alone. What was going through her mind?

...

The next day, Cho summoned me to a room I had never been to before. It was the bedroom she shared with Viktor.

I looked around and noticed how comfortable and beautiful the bedroom looked. I suddenly longed to lie on the comfortable and soft bed sheets and remembered how it felt like to lie on my own bed back at home where my mum and dad once were. My parents were still out in Australia, safe and sound. My heart hurt to know that they didn't realise that their only daughter was being kept as a slave; that the world they once knew wasn't like it had been before. Countless muggles were being murdered, but the news was being covered up. Apparently there was a mass murderer amongst the muggles, even if the clues left behind at the scene were way too curious and beyond the powers of a muggle.

Looking towards the corner, I saw that Cho was writing something down into some notebook. When I cleared my throat, she noticed I had entered. She turned around.

"There you are," she said with a smile.

I smiled back, but could tell something was up. She wanted me to do something again. I could tell because of the strange look in her eyes, the way it brightened up every now and then.

"Sit down." she ordered.

"Where?"

"On the floor. Or would you rather stand?"

It was cold in the room. "I'd like to stay standing."

"Okay then." she took a deep breath. "I've been thinking, and have been thinking for a long time. You know how I can't get pregnant and shit?" She looked me straight in the eyes with a blank look on her face. "I want you to get pregnant for me."

My eyes widened. Had I heard her correctly? "WHAT!"

"Don't yell at me!"

"Sorry... But I- why- I can't- I really shouldn't-"

"I want you to get Viktor to sleep with you so that you can get pregnant."

"But- But- even if I do get pregnant, how are we going to make it seem as if the baby is yours?"

"Hermione, I've got it all planned and figured out, you don't have to worry. Let me do all the worrying."

"But Cho, I honestly can't. He's married to you and I... I haven't spoken to him for a very long time, what if he think I've lost my mind or something?"

"Hermione, love, what did you say the very purpose of the pureblood prisoners were? We are supposed to treat you this way. You are supposed to be our slave in every sense."

"But I'm not a pure-"

"The Dark Lord made you an exception. And weren't you originally in the whore houses? I'm sure you've gotten used to it by now... or is there something I don't know about?" She gave me a small smile that glared evil. "You don't want me to get Draco in trouble because of you, do you?"

I felt like throwing up as I wondered how Cho could even think that I would do such a thing for her. And how could she blackmail me like that? Let alone blackmail me about Draco! The war had really twisted her mind. Sure there were times when she was nice... Merlin... she was like the living version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I couldn't think straight. I couldn't breathe. The world suddenly felt like it was spinning.

"So will you do it for me?"

"I can't. I'm sorry. I can't do that."

The sweet and soft expression on Cho's face morphed into the complete opposite. She looked ferocious all of a sudden. "Hermione, don't make me hurt you. I don't want to put you under the Imperious Curse. You're my friend... but I unfortunately have to also remind you that you are also my slave, so you therefore have to listen to whatever I say."

"Cho... please... I can't..."

She took out her wand and waved it threateningly. "Hermione, I've learnt a ton of spells since joining the ranks of the Death Eaters... I know horrific and gruesome spells that not even the late daft Dumbledore knows about." She gave me a long and deep look. She suddenly looked like she was begging for her life. "So will you do it for me? I really don't want to hurt you."

Did I have a choice now? She was making it hard.

"Yes or no? All you have to do is get him to sleep with you a couple of times just to make sure you do get pregnant. I'm sure that won't be too difficult for you seeing as you have seduced him in the past." She lifted her wand up suddenly and waved it in front of me. A blue light glowed from the tip of her wand. "You're fertile. Excellent."

I closed my eyes and tried to come up with a prayer to no avail. The room suddenly seemed so dark as I realised that this room was probably going to be the room where it was all going to happen. I suddenly wondered if the erratic behaviour of Cho was the reason why Viktor wouldn't communicate with her. Draco and Luna then came to mind. Draco had done so much to protect me... I couldn't just give him away like that. He had done too much for me. I sighed and opened my eyes. I guess I really had no other choice.

Oh Merlin...

"I... I'll do it."

She smiled. "Excellent. I really need a fucking baby. I have been planning ahead so you have got absolutely nothing to worry about." She sighed happily. "Merlin, I love my life."

**A/N Latest update! Hope you like this one as well, but it doesn't matter if you don't because I like how my story is going. Review if you like, I'd like to know your opinions. Also, just in case people don't get who Hermione belongs to... I know that I put her as Viktor's slave but since he married Cho, they share her. Viktor never uses Hermione so Cho exploits this and uses her however she wants and Viktor doesn't really know that Hermione is being used. If you have any questions , don't hesitate to ask me via PM. **


	8. Chapter 8

I took in a deep breath as I looked up at the night sky; it was pitch black with hardly a star in sight. Tonight, the garden was strangely quiet; I couldn't hear the music of the countryside that sent everything to sleep at night. Everything seemed dead. My heart thumped as the thought of having to procreate with Viktor kept coming to me. I wasn't ready to have a child, let alone his child. I wasn't ready for any of this. Couldn't Cho find someone else, or tell Lord Voldemort she couldn't have kids? But then again, that would mean the end of her family and the revelation of Draco's protection of me... I couldn't do that to Draco. I would have to do whatever I can to protect him since he has done the same for me.

I turned my head around to look at the window of my master's room. Viktor Krum should be in there, he was always in his room at this time. His room was dark.

What was I going to say to him when I entered his room? Was he even going to let me in? I didn't know what to say to him, I hadn't talked to him in a long time. I would have to come up with some sort of excuse to knock on his door, since he never needed me for anything.

Suddenly, a small light flickered and I saw a candle floating in midair. It looked as if the fire was already dying, even though it was only just lit. Was I ready to do this?

I went back inside the castle and walked up the stairs to get to his room with a glass of water in my hand. I was going to use the glass of water as an excuse to knock on his door. But when I got there, standing in front of it, I couldn't knock on the door. I was suddenly scared, frightened to the point of fainting. What if I didn't do it right? What if he wasn't going to do it? I didn't know how to start all of this... I hadn't done it before. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath... This was the result of the loss of the war. This is what I was to be. A slave. Oh Merlin... Help me.

...

"So did you do it?" Cho asked me the next morning as I walked into the living room. "Viktor looked better than usual today when he left the house."

I shook my head. I hadn't done it.

Cho sighed and frown. She obviously was disappointed and didn't seem afraid to show it. "I thought I made myself clear that you have to do this."

"I know... I'm sorry."

"You should be." Her fists were clenched.

"I really am. It was... I couldn't bring myself to do it. I... I haven't done it before."

"Hermione... I really need you to do this. It might hurt a bit... he's on the big side of things- but please." she looked at me carefully. "My father is being considered for execution. Greyback has come up with false evidence of my father's apparent wrong doing... he's also claiming that my father has got muggle blood in him... I'm getting desperate."

I nodded, wanting to cry all of a sudden. Emotions were beginning to fill me up. My view of things were getting watery.

Cho took in a deep breath and passed me a phial. "Pour this into his coffee today again. It's the same thing. He won't be going anywhere." she looked me straight in the eye and I saw a tears forming in hers. "And to make sure things go according to plan... I'm really sorry about this. Imperio!"

My eyes widened. I wanted to run away, but my body began to feel rigid. I could feel something invading my mind and my whole being, yet no matter what I did, I couldn't move. It was as if my mind and conscience had floated off and entered another being. My body wasn't mine anymore, it belonged to Cho.

Then I heard voices.

_Prepare his coffee. He should be here soon. And don't forget to pour that thing in. Hermione... I'm so sorry._

I wanted to scream and tie myself down to something. Cho couldn't seriously be doing this to me! My body obeyed her and made its way over to the kitchen to prepare Viktor's coffee. I wanted to turn around and scream obscenity into Cho's face, but I knew that I couldn't. It was really going to happen. I was going to procreate with Viktor...

...

Following Cho's instructions, I had changed out of my slave clothes and wore nothing but a silk bathrobe to cover me. The atmosphere around me began to feel cold, although my body didn't appear to be aware of it, only my mind did.

My body began to lead me up the stairs as Cho instructed and soon I was in front of their bedroom. I entered the room and found that he wasn't there. But of course Cho would know that he wasn't here yet. I then received further instructions to wait for him in the bathroom. My body turned to the right and walked towards a room connected to the bedroom. The bathroom was huge.

_He'll be in there in about ten minutes. That coffee better be the best one you've ever made. _

I could feel my heart crying tears.

_..._

I heard footsteps coming my way and began to panic. Being stood in front of a mirror, I could see myself and saw that my face didn't show any panic that was running about in my mind. Instead, I looked the complete opposite; I looked sexed up and ready to seduce.

The door suddenly opened and I heard clothes falling to the floor. Then suddenly, hardly a noise was made.

"W-what are you doing here, Hermione?" Viktor stammered.

I could see the shock on his face as he meticulously scanned my attire and body. He looked mesmerised by my very presence.

I in return, hardly held anything but a seductive look on my face as I looked back at him. Having dropped off most of his clothing, he was wearing nothing but his boxers. I could see what the 'cursed' me was doing to him.

"Viktor, would you like some coffee?" I asked, in a tone that I would never use. I never knew I had the flirt in me. The voice in my head then ordered me to walk towards him and grab his hand. And when I did, I leaned forward and whispered in a sultry voice. "I could keep you extra warm tonight."

"T-this is not right." he stammered as my fingers began to trail his well toned arm. My free hand still held the cup of coffee. "T-this isn't you. Y-you're supposed to be in your room."

I began pushing him backwards with my hand on his chest. He appeared to take no notice of my sudden power over him as all he was doing was looking into my eyes, speechless. "You don't really know me do you, Viktor?" I asked him. "I know what you want."

He hit the toilet behind him and ended up sat down on it. He looked up at me with a look on his face that clearly showed he was more then ready for this, yet there was something holding him back. He gulped.

"Coffee?" I asked him, as I straddled him. I smiled at him seductively. "You look thirsty."

I passed it over to him and he took it and he immediately began to drink. My thoughts screamed that he shouldn't drink it, that he was right that I wasn't me. In no less than five seconds, he had gulped every bit down.

I winked at him. "What Cho doesn't know won't hurt her."

The look on his face suddenly changed. The willingness to participate was etched all over his face as the coffee began to take affect him. He suddenly held a look on his face that reflected mine.

I wanted to close my eyes, but I couldn't. I was ordered to look directly at Viktor's face. The voice in my head nervously ordered the same words: _Fuck him._ My hands then reached for the string of my silk bathrobe. It dropped to the floor. A moment went by where Viktor was just staring at my nakedness. Then suddenly, without another word, he captured my lips and lifted me up with his hands on my thighs. We were heading over to his bed.

...

I gasped in surprise as I felt his lips against my neck; his hands were feeling its way up and down my torso and my body was reacting to his touch. I shook. Oh... Oh... My legs were wrapped around his waist and I could feel him pressing against me thigh. Merlin... I trailed my fingers down his back, feeling every movement he was making, every movement I was making. He rolled me over; night's light entered through his window and drenched me. I felt his eyes analyse every part of me and I blushed. He then kissed my neck softly before beginning to plant kisses along the line of my clavicle. I groaned as he touched a sensitive spot.

I knew that my actions on him and his actions on me was the work of a curse and magic, but I could feel myself giving in to the whirl of emotions, the lust and the craving. I cried out as he entered me; it hurt, but it was a good hurt. Viktor stopped for a moment to examine the blood on his manhood. He must have not realised that I was a virgin considering the suddenness of our sudden lovemaking. He looked me in the eye and smiled briefly before slowly entering me again. I moaned as he began to thrust and grabbed his hair to pull him closer to me. I kissed his ear. The feelings screaming inside of me were for once reflecting what my facial expression held. I couldn't believe all of this.

"Harder." I groaned. "Please. Oh my God. I like this..."

Viktor began thrusting harder. I could hear the smacking of our flesh, the sounds of our groans. Looking him in the eyes, I could see myself staring into him with an almost insatiable want for him. I grabbed his cheeks and kissed him hard in the mouth. He kissed me back hungrily and wrapped his arms around me to bring me closer to him.

I couldn't believe this was possible. I couldn't believe that I was wanting Viktor Krum.

And suddenly, we both came.

Viktor collapsed next to me and smiled before bringing me closer to him. I rested my head against his chest, feeling a ticklish feeling inside of me as I realised this was the first time I was going to feel warm whilst going to sleep, that this was the first time I was going to sleep with a man. He kissed my forehead and held me close to him. I liked this feeling.

"Hermione." he whispered.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I like this feeling." he said, repeating my thought. "I like feeling you in my arms."

This is just the work of the love potion mixture in the coffee, I told myself. My want for him is the work of the Imperious Curse. Everything I'm feeling right now is all part of a lie, a make-belief story that I am creating and trying to believe in order for this to work. This sudden burst of love and craving for him is a lie.

"Sleep with me tonight." he whispered into my ear. He kissed my temple. "I want to feel you by my side tonight."

I snuggled closer to him, before suddenly feeling fresh air come into me. Cho must have ended the Imperious Curse on me, I thought. I was beginning to feel sleepy.

A few moments later, I fell asleep.

**A/N Hmmm. This chapter took me by far the longest to work on. The latter part of this chapter was particularly difficult as I was trying to make sure that it was written in such a way as to show an apparent sudden love between Hermione and Viktor that isn't exactly true considering that Hermione was being affected by the Imperious Curse and that Viktor was under the influence of a type of love potion. Tell me what you think and thanks to all those who have reviewed and read my on-going story.**


	9. Chapter 9

I woke up feeling surprisingly warm and light. It took me a moment to realise that a man's arm was wrapped around me. The action wasn't an aggressive one, nor was it possessive. In fact, I got the feeling that I was the one who seemed to be comforting the man. A light breeze entered the room through the window, and I felt it on my skin. I shivered as I felt the sensation; it was cooling the heat of me. It was then that I realised I was naked. The events of yesterday night suddenly hit me and I knew at that moment that I was in bed with Viktor Krum.

I looked up to see his face and saw that he was sound asleep. He looked so peaceful; almost like a baby. A smile found its way to my face. Who would ever think that Viktor could hold such an expression?

A dim light suddenly entered through the partially shaded window, worshiping the very ground it tread on and it caught my eye, and I watched it as it slowly made its way over to us before touching the tip of Viktor's feet. It was really early in the morning; the sun was hardly up, making the room look a blue-grey. I watched as the light and dark danced about our bodies and I wondered whether Viktor was going to wake up soon. The dancing of the light made my view of things almost dream-like. I felt my eyes beginning to close... succumbing to the light feeling... sleep... I wanted to sleep...

His arm suddenly moved and he adjusted his grip on me; it sharpened my thoughts. The feeling of him... I felt protected and safe. But soon enough, I felt a dark feeling find its way to my mind. Whatever it was that happened between Viktor and I yesterday was supposed to be nothing. No feelings were supposed to be involved or created from it. But I wasn't so sure... I hadn't felt so needed like that in a long time, to have positive feelings induced after a long period of havoc and pain. Was I beginning to have feelings for him? Or was this warm feeling inside of me the result of his 'kind-ness' and nothing more? And to produce a baby like that? Was the child going to grow up without the full knowledge that I was in fact his or her mother? I suddenly felt upset, lost and hurt. My child wasn't going to be my child...

Thinking about what to do next, I decided that I didn't want him to wake up to find me next to him. He was probably going to be in for a nasty shock finding me in his arms, considering that his actions were all because of a type of love potion. Was he going to be disgusted by me?

"Don't go..."

I gasped, though not loud enough to wake Viktor up. Was he awake?

"Vik... Viktor?"

I stayed still to check if he was awake or not. His chests moved slowly in and out and I could feel myself moving to its beat, moving up and down with him. I could feel his breath on me, a nice and warm feeling. His eyes were closed. He wasn't rigid, but calm and relaxed. He was asleep... talking in his sleep.

Carefully lifting his arm away from me, I rolled out of bed, making sure that I wasn't going to make a sound as I did so. I then walked into the bathroom to put the silk bathrobe on so that I would not be walking out into the living room stark naked. Before leaving the bedroom, I gave Viktor one last look and thought... Oh Merlin... I'm going to have your baby.

...

"So did you do it?" Cho asked eagerly, as soon as I entered the dining room to help with kitchen duties.

I nodded.

She smiled as she passed me more suitable clothing to change into. A new and immaculate maroon coloured t-shirt and shorts. My first new clothes since forever, excluding the silk bathrobes... It surprised me to know that she had been waiting for me with new clothes. She wasn't usually like this.

"What was he like when he woke up to find you in bed with him?" She looked incredibly curious and looked as if she hardly had any sleep at all. "Grumpy as always?"

"Actually... he was and still is asleep."

"Was he that bad in bed?" Cho asked, looking as if she were about to burst out in laughter. Her expression then changed, though not entirely. "You just left him then, I mean? I meant to say that."

It was as if she would have preferred me waiting for him to get up.

I nodded.

She smiled again as a thought came to her. "Did... did you enjoy it though?"

I blushed as the memory of my first orgasm hit me and the way I had been touched by Viktor. I exhaled before taking a deep breath to calm down. "Am I suppose to tell you?"

She laughed. "Your facial expression explains it all. Must have been a a great fuck." After a moment of thinking to herself, she sighed. "At least we know he can please some women in the bedroom."

"It was the work of your curse on me." I told her in defense of myself as I changed into the new shirt and shorts she gave me. "And don't forget that dose of love potion he had."

Cho looked at me sadly as she thought about something. She took a hold of my hand and held it gently just as I finished changing into my new clothes. "I'm sorry about that yesterday." she said. "I didn't want you to be hesitant. I didn't know what I was thinking about when I cast that spell on you, but at the time, it seemed like the only solution to make sure you did it with him. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me right now."

"Hhmmm."

She really did look apologetic. What else could I do but believe her? Being on her bad side now would be the end of me.

"I wonder how it is going to look like." Cho then said. "Hopefully it will end up looking like Viktor and not you. What do you think the chances are?"

It took me a moment to realise that she was talking about the potential product of my copulating with Viktor, and I noticed how she used the word 'it' and not 'baby'. I guess she wasn't going to get attached to the baby at all- at least try not to. The baby was just going to be her source of safety from the hell around us, and nothing more. It was almost as if the baby was going to act as an object for her... a little game that represented the symbol between danger and safety. I didn't like the idea of it, but what was I supposed to do? I couldn't risk anybody else's life for my sake.

"Do I have to do it with him again?" I asked, not wanting to talk about the baby.

She was about to answer me but was interrupted by footsteps. Viktor entered the dining room looking somewhat confused and tired at the same time, like he was wondering whether he and I had even had sex yesterday, as if it were all just a dream.

"Cho, where is breakfast?" he suddenly asked in a grumpy voice. "You know I have to leave-"

He stopped halfway through his sentence when he saw me. I wondered if he was now clearly remembering what happened yesterday night. Our eyes then met and I began to feel like I was losing my breath as the thought of the Imperious Curse came to me. My body appeared to be remembering his gaze as I suddenly felt naked again. I still couldn't believe Cho had done that to me, and I couldn't believe how seductive I was yesterday either. Viktor then scowled as if it were the only solution to break the eye contact and turned back to Cho.

"Breakfast?" he continued.

Cho turned to me, noticing the exchange between Viktor and I. She pretended not to have seen it though. "I sent the house elves out to do some things for me. You won't mind cooking breakfast today, right Hermione?"

"Actually, I want you to cook for me today." Viktor muttered, avoiding my eyes.

"But-"

Viktor scowled at Cho. "Are you going to cook or not?"

She sighed. "Fine."

I took this as a sign to leave the room. They both probably didn't want me in there with them anyway. And with that, I quietly slipped out of the room and made my way over to the gardens.

...

A week had gone since that day and two of the days consisted of the same activities... Imperious Curse on me and love potion in Viktor's coffee. I had left the bedroom early each time so that he would never wake up to find me. I didn't want him to anyway. He didn't seem to bothered by it anyway since he never commented during the day when I bumped into him. I wondered what went through his mind when we were at it. Did he even think at all? Thinking about the Imperious Curse, I wondered if Cho even trusted me, that I could have sex perfectly fine without the instructions and use of magic, a curse. Maybe I could ask her about it today?

Searching about the castle, I couldn't find her. Why was she never around when I needed her the most? Had she gone without telling me?

Deciding that I was alone, I made my way over to the garden, wanting to find peace and comfort. The weather today was particularly nice. The sky was clear and a lovely azure, seemingly pushing all of the dark cloudiness away. Taking in a deep breath, I found myself feeling lighter. What was everybody else up to? What were Luna, Ginny and Draco doing? I then realised how I hadn't seen them in ages. Were Luna and Ginny getting along okay with their pregnancies? And what about Neville? Had he awoken? And Ron! How was Ron doing? How could I have forgotten about him!

I looked down and saw a single trumpet flower and noticed that it was wilting. It was going to be dead soon. I remembered reading about it one time ages ago. It symbolised separation... Merlin... Was I still in love with Ron?

"You're here?" a deep voice suddenly said. "Do you like to come here often?"

I turned around and found Viktor only a couple of metres away from me. He appeared to be hesitant to talk to me, almost as if he was forcing himself to do so. He wasn't in his usual attire but in his death eater outfit. He was making me feel small and scared, looking dark and everything. He was standing right under the shade of the apple tree.

"Yes. Whenever I have time." I answered him quietly.

He nodded before taking a step closer to me, looking like he was beginning to relax. "It's a nice place isn't it?"

I nodded. It was true.

His eyes suddenly changed and he held a different expression on his face. What was he thinking about?

"Last time we were here alone together, you were yelling at me." he then said. He pointed towards his right. "We were standing over there."

I cocked my head to look before turning back to him. I didn't remember any yelling. "Was I?"

He nodded. "I can understand... you must be thinking I'm not who you thought I was."

I gave him a look, suddenly remembering my first day here. "Well, obviously. You're a bloody death eater! You were probably somewhere watching when Voldemort killed Harry! And the muggles you have probably tortured."

"I didn't mean to be one." he said, defensively, fists clenched. "And I haven't tortured or killed any muggles."

"There is always a choice, Viktor. You didn't need to become this."

"It was my only option. You wouldn't understand if I told you."

"You told me that last time, Viktor. And I thought you said that I am one of the brightest witch of my age? At least talk to me about it." I crossed my arms. "I honestly don't understand why you turned to the dark side. I thought you were with me. I told you so many things... too many things..."

He scowled and looked away from me. "And a good thing you did too considering how it got you here."

"Got me here as a slave! You told Lord Voldemort everything didn't you?"

"You sent your parents away to Australia and used magic on them to forget everything. Obliviate? Does that ring any bells on me having no other choice?"

I glared at him, hating that he was talking about my parents, hating that he knew just how to piss me off. "I had no choice!"

"Exactly." he said. "I didn't have a choice either in becoming a Death Eater. There were so many things going on." He looked at me in the eyes. His expression had softened. "I want you to know something though... They killed my parents. After that, I only had you left, and I didn't want to lose you either. I did what I could to keep you with me, even if you are going to hate me for it."

I suddenly noticed how much closer he was to me now and I could smell his scent. Spices... I held my breath, it brought too many memories from my fourth year at Hogwarts. And he couldn't have just said that? But did he not know that I was with Ron? I exhaled and inhaled again trying to think. Was I even still with Ron?

He gave me a strange look.

"Hermi-ow... Hermione... you don't need to come to my room anymore if you don't want to."

I stared at him.

"At night. You bring coffee..."

I blushed. It was now that I realised that he was well aware of our nighttime activities, even after waking up in the morning with headaches from the dose of love potion. Wasn't he supposed to not be aware of anything? One of the side effects of a love potion was memory loss to the user... He wasn't supposed to be aware of what had happened at all!

"How do you..."

Viktor suddenly turned and walked off. I was left to stare at his back. Wait! Was he leaving already? I couldn't process all of the sudden happenings. Why was my life so complicated?

"Where are you going?" I asked.

He didn't respond.

"Viktor?"

I ran up to him and caught him by the arm, a casual act I hadn't done since the war started. My eyes widened as I couldn't believe my own actions. His muscles were tense.

He stopped and turned around to look into my eyes, and appeared to be in deep thought. There was a sudden flash in them... He was searching me... and found something. I didn't feel my brain being intruded at all... he just knew.

"Do you miss him?" he asked me.

It sounded more like a statement than a question, even though the word 'do' was in his wording.

I gave him a curious look before emotion suddenly hit me as my brain finally understood the meaning of his words. My eyes began tear up; I couldn't help it. Was it because I missed Ron? Or was it because I felt like I was being treated like a proper human being again? Maybe I just wanted to cry...

Viktor pulled me over to him and gave me a hug. I was reminded of the first time I saw him with Cho here, except it was in reverse and I was playing Cho. I was hugging him.

"Cry all you want. Nobody else is here." He whispered, wrapping his arms around me. "Just cry."

I sunk into him and I cried. Alot. I could feel the fabric of his robes dampen heavily even though it was really thick, but I couldn't help it, I hadn't cried like that in such a long time. I cried about everything. My loss, the pain, the war, and the baby... what was going to be Cho's child...

I parted from him after a while and looked him in the eye, trying to figure him out. I probably looked more hideous than I already was now.

He looked back at me with an almost emotionless expression. I tried to smile, even though I didn't exactly know what he was thinking about or who he was.

"Why are you being so... so nice to me?" I asked him.

He didn't say anything, but I suddenly knew the answer. I had probably been well aware of the answer for a long time, but hadn't put any thought into it having suppressed the fact deep within me since all the trouble started.

"I can take you to see him today if you want." Viktor muttered. "He's over at Malfoy's place with his Master, Snape. Do you want to see him?"

I shook my head, suddenly feeling sick in the stomach.

"You... you don't want to?"

Viktor looked pleased by that.

"Cho's here." I muttered, spotting her standing on the balcony of the second floor. Was I using Cho as an excuse not to see Ron? "She probably wants to talk to you."

Viktor looked annoyed at my sudden mentioning of her but pretended not to be. He began to make his way back to the castle, and left me behind without another word.

I looked up at where Cho was standing, and could have sworn I saw a disappointed look on her face even from the long distance. Another two seconds past before she made her way indoors, shutting the door behind her. I wondered what had happened today that upset her so much? And why was I feeling like throwing up?

**A/N Updated a bit slow this time as I've been writing notes about what will happen later in the story and have been deciding upon which pathway I should take as I have come up with quite a few- which I cannot tell you readers about just yet. Three seconds to guess what the next chapter is about? I doubt I need to tell you lot the clues. And thanks for reading and the reviews.**


	10. Chapter 10

I lay down on what was considered my bed, drenched in the darkness of my room. I was used to the dark and iciness of the room, but tonight it felt entirely different. There was a feeling inside of me that I couldn't explain... loneliness... I felt so lonely... and inside of me there was this burning desire to run away and get away from this castle, even though it had been protecting me all this time.

I turned to my side, trying to wish the queasiness away from me. I had a feeling I knew what was 'wrong' with me, but didn't want to think about it. Everything felt like it was happening too soon... I wasn't ready for any of this.

Oh Ronald... I'm so sorry... I thought. I knew exactly why I didn't want to see him now. I felt so guilty... If it hadn't been for the war, we'd still be together doing who knows what. Everything that we always wanted?

I didn't want to see him, and I knew exactly why. I didn't want him to see me in the state. I didn't want him to feel sorry for me, to feel pained because of me or to feel bad for me. And worse... I had been copulating with some other man, when all this time I had kept myself pure and ready for Ron once the war was over, and I had given the biggest piece and essence of myself that I could give to the love of my life away to some guy as if it were nothing... And right now... could I... was I pregnant?

It was so cold in here. This room. My only nighttime solace. My ragged blankets were useless...

But, Viktor... Viktor... Why did he have to tell Voldemort everything? I honestly thought I knew him. Maybe there were some things I didn't know about him, or anything he had been through to let me understand him at all... Maybe I had misinterpreted my knowledge of him. But how am I supposed to judge him? He had been nice to be all the same, keeping me away from all this trouble.

Suddenly, without another word, I succumbed to sleep. All that thinking had gotten me so tired.

...

"What's the matter, Cho?" I asked when she came down to my room for the first time and woke me up.

I was so shocked because this was the first time she had come down here. Light glowed at the tip of her wand. I suddenly missed my wand. Every prisoner's wand or wands had been confiscated and broken to pieces.

"Get washed up and changed. I have new clothes for you in the first floor bathroom."

I blinked, suddenly feeling hopeless. "Am I doing it with Viktor again?" I asked.

But he had said I didn't need to anymore...

She shook her head. "No. Draco, Luna and Ginny are here."

I was still trying to get used to the sudden brightness of this room. The light blasting in from the entrance was too much for the darkness I was in. After adjusting the light of Cho's wand, I noticed that Cho looked worried and was biting her lip. What had happened?

...

I walked into the living room all washed and changed and saw that Draco, a full looking Ginny and Luna were sat down on the sofas, looking anxious. Cho stood by them, looking the same. Something grave must have happened.

"Guys... Just get straight to the point and tell me what happened." I said.

I didn't want to feel like this for a long time. Whatever it was, it was better to know what happened sooner than later. The emotions that would hit me would leave sooner then.

Ginny suddenly burst into tears and Luna pulled her into her arms to comfort her. Cho comforted her too by placing a hand on her lap. Draco glared daggers into the wall, as if trying to stray away from the emotions of the women and himself.

Having known Ginny all my life, I knew she wasn't one to cry so easily. She was tough and feisty, full of energy and life; only one thing could have broke her down to this state. The last time I had seen her like this was when Harry died... Oh my God. No... it couldn't be... No! No!

"Ron's dead." Ginny cried out.

The knowledge hit me like the Cruciatus Curse straight through the heart. Tears formed in my eyes as my brain finally realised how my heart was feeling. Ron couldn't have died! No!

I crumpled to the floor, trying to take control of my emotions.

"What?"

"He couldn't stand being away from you." Ginny spluttered through her tears and wailing. "And after not hearing a word from you all this time..."

I didn't want to hear her next words but it was too late.

"He begged Snape to finish him off with the Killing Curse."

"Oh Merlin..." I cried out.

I felt so horrible. I couldn't believe that I didn't want to see him... if I had gone yesterday and accepted Viktor's invitation, would Ron have still been alive? My heart told me so, but my mind told me he was long dead inside than he was on the outside. He hadn't wanted to continue living half alive.

This feeling inside of me... Was I feeling so depressed and upset because I had lost someone I loved? Or was it because he was my best friend? Memories of my time with Ron shout through my mind, but all I could see was a blur of the images... I felt so dizzy... and sick...

"All of this emotion isn't going to do good to your... to your kids." Cho suddenly muttered. "If you want a healthy baby we might as well try to pretend that all of this dying doesn't happen at all."

"Don't say a word, Cho!" Ginny cried out. "You always ruin the moment!"

The two women suddenly glared at each other.

"Don't put your negative emotions onto me, using your dead brother and boyfriend as a reason!" Cho argued back. "I'm only trying to be rational here! The Dark Lord isn't going to want depressed little things coming out of you!"

"Shut up you little crying, whiny little bitch!" Ginny hissed out with malice.

"Oh the irony in that." Cho laughed out, haughtily.

"That's enough you two." Draco intervened, before Ginny or Cho could say another word.

Luna looked pleased at Draco's intervention. She probably didn't want an argument to ensue.

I closed my eyes, still wondering if I love... loved Ron. He was so sweet... but my want for him... was it as real as the victory of Lord Voldemort?

...

"I could have handled that siutation perfectly well without Draco's help!" Cho muttered as soon as the three visitors left.

I was still sat on the stone cold floor where I had sat down earlier. I felt so numb.

Cho gave me a look. "Look. I know I may seem crass and apathetic right now, and I know what Ron was to you, but what were you expecting?" She sat down on the sofa where Ginny had sat earlier with a huff. "The people suffering from the result of the Dark Lord's victory should be expecting deaths and hurt and pain and whatnot. If they are going to have the emotional suffering range of a teaspoon, they might as well all just jump off a cliff now before any more news comes."

I nodded, to show her that I understood.

"Hermione, stop crying."

She walked over to be and brought me to my feet before giving me a hug. It seemed so genuine... her kindness.

"I'm sorry I didn't bring you over to Snape's for a visit." She sighed as she parted from me. "Love... I'm never going to understand love. But I understand to a scary extent what it's like to have your heart ripped out when you discover that the love of your life has just been torn away from you by death itself." She suddenly smiled, though it wasn't one of joy. A tear slipped from her eyes. "I guess that's why I'm so heartless sometimes. Cedric took it away with him the moment I saw his blank and lifeless eyes."

Cho then began to make her way to another room, using her hands to muffle the helpless and teary sounds being emitted from her mouth. I wondered if I should tell her about how sick I was suddenly feeling. It had been this way for quite some time.

"Um, Cho?" I squeaked.

"What?" She asked, obviously crying.

"I... I think..."

"I know what you're thinking." She said quickly. "You don't need to worry about a thing."

"Really?"

I knew that she didn't, she was losing her mind and confused again, having the shock of Cedric's death consume her again. But I let her leave the room anyway, deciding that maybe wasn't the tim to tell her. Speaking of Cedric... I was reminded of Ron...

...

One week later, Cho was not amused.

"Well? Why didn't you tell me?" She crossed her arms petulantly.

Cho had just waved her wand in front of my uterus to check to see if I was pregnant or not. Her wand glowed a bright colour to confirm that I was.

"I thought you knew..."

She suddenly smiled. "This is brilliant, Hermione! Oh my God!"

She hugged me in a tight embrace and whispered continuous thanks and ohmygods, kissing my cheek once in the process.

It was good to see her like this after seeing her so glum and depressed after being reminded of Cedric's death for an entire week. It made me wonder if I had actually loved Ron at all. Was true love meant to be like this? Maybe I wasn't as emotional as Cho... Ron and I... I just liked hearing him laugh and see his goofy smile. And I liked talking to him and hearing his jokes... his nice hugs... Was that it? I never actually had the urge to kiss him all the time and have sex with him... but love didn't have to be all about the sex, right? That wasn't, or should I say, isn't love at all...

A thought then came to me. It was one that had bugged be for quite some time ever since Cho asked that I get pregnant for her by shagging her husband. Oh Merlin...

"Cho?"

"Yes?"

"How are you going to look pregnant when I am pregnant?" I asked.

I bit my lip worriedly.

"For now you and I don't need to worry about a thing." She said with a hidden smile in her eyes. "That will only matter after about four months or less."

"Okay..."

I hoped she knew what she was doing. I put a hand to my tummy, wondering what the new life inside of me was doing.

"In the meantime, I'll move you up to your new room. This room you currently live in is not a suitable environment for a pregnant woman to be in."

I blinked, wondering if what Cho was saying was real at all.

"Thanks... Cho. Really."

"Just as long as you don't do anything funny while I'm not around... again." she muttered, giving me a strange look.

What was she going on about? I was reminded of the time when I had spotted Cho watching Viktor and I hug... Was she mad about that?

Cho stood up as if there was nothing worth questioning on her sudden statement.

"In the meantime. I'll have to brew some more love potion and get that dumb introvert to sleep with me."

Was she going on about Viktor? Which reminds me...

"Hey, Cho?"

"Yes?"

"One of the side effects of a love potion is faulty memory... I mean absolute loss of memory of the previous nights activities right?"

She nodded. "That is correct. However, I add a little twist in my love potion. My love potion makes feelings especially strong during any love act as to bring out the optimum pleasure out of either person. I'm not entirely sure on the side effects though, because as far as I can see, there are none- unless you count unrequited love as one, since love potions are usually used on someone who isn't loving you back. But that's got nothing to do with the actual potion right?"

She laughed at her own rhetorical question.

"Right... so they are well aware of the act of... love making... while it's happening right?"

"Well, of course!" Cho said. "Why would you want to have sex with a mindless person?"

"Right..."

Oh my God.

I could feel my cheeks burning. So Viktor remembered everything? He had seen me naked, and being all stupid and flirty in front of him... Oh my God.

Cho suddenly grabbed my hand, ignoring how embarrassed I was feeling, although she hardly knew that I was. How could I blame her for not leaving me to cool down from my embarrassment?

"Want to see your new room now?"

I smiled. "Sure."

**A/N**

**Latest chapter! I'm not sure if the next chapter is going to be everybody's cup of tea but... hopefully, some of you will like it. Thanks for reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

"What are you doing on this floor?" Viktor asked, when he walked out of the bathroom to find me walking out of my new room.

It took me a moment to realise that he was in front of me. Ron was all I had going through my mind. The guilt...

I blinked, unable to help myself as I noticed the unattended droplets of water slide down Viktor's pecs and well toned abs. The way his arms moved to adjust the towel wrapped lazily around his waist emphasised his muscular arms... Water trickling from his floppy wet hair down to his waist... I suddenly found myself staring right where his cock was and remembered the size of it. My face burned. Sex. What the hell was I doing?

"I... My... room! I just walked out of my room." I told him awkwardly. "Yes.. and... I needed to use the bathroom. Yes. I need to wash myself with... soap- which is in the bathroom."

He blinked, and leaned against the door of the closed bathroom door, folding his arms.

"I thought you slept somewhere else?" He muttered.

I tried not to look at him and took refuge by looking at my toes, which had gotten miles better from from when I first got here. The only remnants of the pain I suffered were seen by the scars on my feet. "Um... Cho moved me up here."

"I see." He looked genuinely surprised, as if he had not known any of this.

And I sure did see him clearly too. Was he not well aware of the fact that he was half naked with just a towel to cover him up? And where the hell was Cho? Right... she was attending a special meeting with Lord Voldemort over the apparent attempt that was going to take place soon to take over fragile Ireland. I had heard Cho discussing the issue with some other Death Eaters and Draco the other day in her study.

"What are you looking at that interests you so?" Viktor asked me.

He was obviously pretending to be oblivious to the fact that he was half naked!

Suddenly, it was as if the somewhat argument we had some weeks ago had not occurred at all. He looked at me with a playful grin.

Was this what Cho warned me about? Not to do anything funny... It was rather tempting though. I mean... it wasn't I who was doing anything funny right now. Viktor was standing there literally half dressed, it wouldn't take long before all that was covering him was gone and forgotten on the floor. And me? I just had an oversized flannel that Cho had given me to wear to sleep in.

I could see that Viktor was checking me out. My body shivered as it remembered his loving and attentive gaze from our before. What the hell was he playing at? And why wasn't I mad at him?

"Are you curious?" he asked me, stretching his arms up into the air.

He yawned.

I found myself unwillingly following the trail of the small hairs leading from his belly down to his... What the hell, Hermione?

"About what?" I asked him, looking back to my toes.

"Curious to find out what's under this towel?"

I tried to cover the laugh that escaped my lips, but failed to. "And why would I be? I've seen it before, haven't I?"

He suddenly shook his head, causing the droplets of water from his hair to sprinkle onto me, and smiled. "Hey, I'm just trying to lighten up the mood of you. No harm intended."

"Viktor... you're being strange."

"As are you. You haven't been yourself for a week or something."

"You've been spying on me?"

I gave him an incredulous look.

"Not exactly." He muttered. "I know how Cho sounds like when she's all depressed and whiny, but you? No."

Ron then came to mind again and I found myself feeling upset. I had lost two of my best friends now, two wonderful boys I had known since forever who I had been through almost everything with from the biggest of things to the smallest. The smile on my face faded. What the hell was I doing here? I should fight for the sake of them! They did not have to die like this!

I sighed, knowing my thoughts and wants were pointless now. Was Viktor implying that he didn't like me being all upset? If Cho got to see this side of Viktor, she wouldn't be calling her a dumb introvert anymore...

"Anyway." He said, giving me a smile. "It's nice to see your smile again."

He reached for a shirt that hung on the closed bathroom door and put it on.

Over this past week, Viktor and I had begun to talk some more, and today felt as if we were back at Hogwarts, being able to talk to each other as if it were nothing, as if the world was just made for the two of us. It made me feel better after losing so many people. It was almost like none of this disaster had happened at all.

Somehow, we managed to step closer to each other and were soon stood toe to toe. I couldn't believe how close we were. I was reminded of being in his bedroom again.

I looked up at Viktor and saw him looking back down at me. His eyes were always seeing right through me, so he knew me through and through, only this time, his gaze stopped right at my eyes. It was like he was allowing me my privacy this time.

He lifted his hand up and caressed my cheeks with it, feeling me so softly I gasped. We were so close right now, I could feel him pressed right up against me. Without a thought, my arms were around him and I held him tightly, not wanting to let him go. This feeling of comfort was something I missed so much; comfort wasn't something that existed in the world of Voldemort.

Soon, Viktor's arms were wrapped around me to and I felt like we were one being.

A thought then came to me. It was a thought I knew that I was going to deeply regret.

"Viktor..."

"Hermione?"

"I want-" the words seemed to stop right at my tongue. I didn't know what was stopping me. Was it Ron?

I rested my head against him. Viktor was playing with my hair with his fingers. He patiently waited for me to continue.

"I want to-" I took in a deep breath. Here goes... "I want to make love with you again."

I could feel his entire body tense up as soon as I uttered those words. His manhood was aroused and pressed against me.

"Are you sure?" he asked me, sounding embarrassed at the fact that his penis was against me.

"I'm not under a curse. I'm perfectly fine."

"You aren't." he said. "You're just confused. You just want to feel comforted."

I gave him a pained look. "And you? What about you? Cho hasn't been attentive with you or cares about you. You're never around because of her."

"I know that..." Viktor muttered. "I just don't want sex between us to be just about the fuck, you know? You mean too much to me for me to treat you that way."

"Then what about before?" I asked him, suddenly feeling mad. "You knew I wasn't being myself, yet you allowed the sex to happen."

He scowled at me.

"And right now, I am being myself and asking you to have sex with me and you reject me?"

"I was being greedy then. You were naked in front of me! What was I supposed to do?"

Then I did something I didn't think was possible. I unbuttoned my flannel top and let it drop to the floor. My bra and underwear soon followed. Viktor just stood there watching the entire time, speechless.

I looked at him and smiled cheekily. "You didn't stop me, Viktor."

He was still looking at me, only this time, with a shocked expression. "Wow... you're... beautiful."

Our lips then met and it was then that I knew that Cho was going to kill me one way or the other. But right now... this felt right. I wanted Viktor and Viktor wanted me. Today was ours for the taking. Nothing was going to stop us.

"Bathroom?" he asked me, the excitement clearly heard in his voice.

I jumped onto him.

...

Time flew by and I was soon close to being four months pregnant. It was a weird feeling... this baby. My hand managed to find its way to swell of my tummy every once in a while and it was comforting... strangely comforting. I had also spoken a couple of words to the baby inside of me sometimes without realising, but it felt like the right thing to do. I worried every now and then though because I felt like I was going to become attached to my- the baby; I didn't want to feel torn to pieces later... But it seemed right to talk to myself... the baby. Could it hear me?

"Are you eating well?" Cho asked, appearing out of nowhere.

I gasped, surprised and stared at her. "Um, yes of course."

Cho smiled. "Were you just talking to yourself?"

"Um, you could put it that way."

"It was good of Voldemort to put Viktor in charge of one of the groups to take over Ireland. How long has he been gone now? A month or so?" she then said. "We didn't need to do anything to cover you up."

There was something in her eyes that I didn't like; it was disturbing. Was she saying what she had just said because she knew there was something between Viktor and I? Or was it just because she didn't want Viktor to know that I was pregnant? Something must have happened because I could tell that she had been crying again and screaming at something or someone. I looked at her hand and noticed that she was holding her wand.

"Lavender's given birth two months ago." Cho suddenly said. "I can't believe I just found out today... I was wondering why the Dark Lord was all thrilled over whatever Greyback did."

"Prematurely?" I asked, worried for Lavender. She was probably suffering a lot.

"No. Apparently it's normal for the offspring of werewolves," Cho muttered, eyes focused on my belly. "According to Greyback, that is." She wrinkled her nose. "But that's all going to change once Draco's two babies come along."

"Why?" I asked, although I knew.

"Because they aren't tainted by some other blood." she told me. Her voice was becoming less comfortable to hear and more strained. "But for now, The Dark Lord is thrilled with that disgusting cub."

Cho then glared at me, and tears began to run down her cheeks. Was this strong emotion of hers from the anger of the birth of Lavender's child, or because of something else? There was so much hate in her eyes- but at whom? Her wand yielding hand gripped her wand tightly. She muttered something to herself, a strange mantra that I was positive was some sort of ancient old spell, but it wasn't one that I knew of, having had my self studying in the school library cut short because of all of this. What was she saying? What was she doing? Merlin... what on earth was she doing?

Cho lifted her wand and pointed it towards me; my growing tummy rather.

"Hermione, you've done well thus far." she muttered, lifelessly. "Don't hate me for this." Cho took in a deep breath before opening her mouth to finish of the long ancient incantation. "Infans ex utero ego furtum."

I suddenly felt the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. My mind went blank before being filled with a constant screaming of the pain inside of me. All of the hurt and suffering from the war combined was nothing compared to this. This couldn't be happening to me! Was I dying?

Looking down at myself, I could see that I was bleeding... heavily. Red liquid were dripping down my thighs; I couldn't believe this was happening! It was as if something inside of me was being ripped out of me. I crumpled to the floor, trying to regain myself, but the pain wouldn't let me. What was Cho doing to me? Was she mad at me for sleeping with her husband? But she had told me there were no feeling going on between them, having had a political marriage between them.

I looked up at her, giving her a look that pleaded her to stop all of this pain, but the only thing that she did that showed me that she acknowledged the pain that I was feeling were the tears dripping from her eyes. She didn't want to do this, that much I knew, but why was she?

I tried to think clearly, attempting to make out the mantra she had said earlier. Looking down at myself, I could see that my belly was shrinking. The pain inside of me and all over my body was reaching its optimum. Merlin... no... it couldn't be... this spell... oh Merlin... I had read about this spell before... it couldn't be possible though... this spell was merely a myth... a legend... it wasn't possible... the book said... no... no... no!

Suddenly, a moment came when I felt weightless. I felt like I was floating in the air, as if I were a dust particle; nothing special, a piece of this earth that nobody was going to care about. The pain had left me. I was completely lying on the floor, helpless. I didn't feel as heavy as before, like there was a baby inside of me. But that was because there was no baby inside of me anymore. The baby was inside of Cho...

Cho pointed her wand at me and began to mutter spells to clear up the blood and the wounds I had gotten from my baby being ripped out of me. I felt so numb though; the spells were pointless.

This was why Cho had told me not to worry. This was why she hadn't been worried about people wondering whether she was pregnant or not. This was why she was so pleased that Viktor wasn't around right now. Had she been instrumental to having him in charge of one of the groups that were sent to Ireland? Had she planned this all along? Of course she had! How else would she have been able to execute this so perfectly? But where had she gotten all of this information from... ripping the baby out of me. Oh Merlin... I hated her. I hated her so much. The baby in her... was... is mine. Merlin...

"I know you hate me right now, Hermione," Cho suddenly said. "But you will thank me for this later. I never meant to hurt you at all. If I had known from the start that the female slave that Viktor was going to get was you... it might not have ended this way at all."

Tears were running down my face.

"But it did, Chang." I growled. "And I fucking hate you for this."

"You will thank me later, Hermione Granger." She said. "You just don't realise this right now."

**A/N**

**What do you guys/girls think? I can't believe I came up with the pregnancy theft thing at all. I had been wondering how on earth I was going to make Cho look pregnant and Hermione look as if she wasn't and that was the first thing that came to mind. I had thought about a glamour charm, but that is so lame for a dark fic like this. Baby theft seemed to fit the dark fit much better than a bloody glamour charm.**

**I don't think all of you should hate Cho for that at all though... because when you're desperate, I'd think that you'd do anything to get what you want and that is exactly what Cho did.**

**Well... I'd like to know what you think about this chapter. This chapter is the one that I have worried and am worrying about the most of all the chapters I have written seeing as the happenings inside this one is quite... different.**

**Thanks for reading and I love you all.**

**And just in case, I think the Latin translation into English for 'Infans ex utero ego furtum' is 'stealing baby from the womb'? I'm not entirely sure, translating websites are never correct.**


	12. Chapter 12

I was sitting in my room, looking aimlessly at the slow movements of the shadows made by the light passing through my window. The way the light moved about so freely, seemingly swirling around every curve of the furniture that stood in its path without much effort left me I feeling empty. Hopeless. Dead. Time, or more specifically, the way time past meant nothing to me now, as I lost count of the days that had gone. I never noticed the way the nature outside changed in colour until this very moment. I didn't even remember how long it was since Cho... since I lost all my trust in Cho. Hating her wasn't the only thing that went through my mind during the time that had past since that eventful day. I felt like I had lost a part of myself, an essential part of who I was to be. It didn't make sense to me at all; I mean, I didn't even believe that the baby was even inside of me at the time that seemed to long ago...

Viktor had come back a few days ago, the invasion of Ireland still underway. From the snippets of conversation I heard whilst trying to sleep, something or someone was slowing the process; a rumour was going about that a new saviour was to destroy Voldemort. I honestly didn't care whether the new saviour was truly existent or not, because for some reason, I felt like my loss was more important. The baby inside Cho was my priority.

Viktor hadn't come to see me at all. But I noticed the way he glanced at me every now and then. He seemed lost and afraid, afraid that he was wrong about something, confused even. I knew straight away why he was avoiding me. Cho had told him she was pregnant, I could sense that much, and she probably told him to stay away from me to look after her, because of the baby. She wanted to make sure there was no contact or communication between the two of us, afraid that I would do or say something that would make him hate her and run over to me, and so far she was doing a good job. But then again, I wasn't even making an effort to talk or see to him. I just felt like life wasn't worth living anymore.

I stood up and walk towards my window, wanting to close the curtains so that the shadows would stop dancing about as if to celebrate my pain. It was then that I saw Cho and Viktor talking outside. My heart ached as I longed to be in his protective arms again. It had been months since we last made love to each other, whether it was a slow and loving one, a frantic one, or even a desperate one. He was making an effort to be nice to her, but I could see the life fading from his eyes as he attempted to look at her in a loving manner. Those looks were reserved only for me; he couldn't fake a loving look. He was only being nice to her because of the baby inside of her. He was trying to believe that the baby inside was his.

Cho on the other hand had grown in size, she looked close to childbirth. Had that much time past? If I remembered correctly, Luna and Ginny had both given birth already and that their respective babies was causing quite a party with Voldemort. I honestly didn't remember a thing at all. How old were they now? Apparently Lavender was pregnant again? My mind was blank and just filled with so much pain and anger, at Cho... Voldemort... Viktor... and most specifically, myself.

The afternoon soon turned to darkness. It was nighttime. A cracking noise eerily echoed through the castle, and I knew someone had used the Floo System. I walked out of my room at that moment, deciding to hydrate myself after staying in my room for a long time. Neither of the two, meaning Cho and Viktor, seemed to acknowledge my existence at all. Cho hadn't given me orders since Viktor arrived, and Viktor had, in my opinion, made no effort to come to see me. Walking into the kitchen, I found myself alone with Viktor for the first time since the myriad of lustful happenings between the two of us; the first being the eventful day in the bathroom if I remembered correctly. My memories were slowly turning to dust...

Somehow knowing what I wanted, he poured me a glass of water the muggle way and passed it to me. I accepted it without a word and took a sip, not looking at him in the face or thanking him at all. For some reason, I felt that he didn't deserve any acknowledgment; I was angry at him.

I could feel his eyes on me, but I ignored him. The atmosphere changed. The glass of water felt too cold against my warm hand. It was then that he spoke.

"I have been wanting to talk to you for a long time." he said, carefully; voice quivering slightly. I didn't know if it was from anger or nervousness. Viktor was good at hiding his true emotions if he purposely intended them to not be known.

I took another sip, then a gulp, ignoring him. I wanted to know how much more he could take my ignoring him.

"I'm sorry I didn't come see you after I came back... I was busy." he continued. "There were so many things..."

He seemed annoyed at himself, trying to find the right words to say to me. I took another gulp, wanting the water to cool the sudden whirl of emotions that were beginning to invade my body. The water inside of me felt cold against the heat of my anger.

"Cho... she's... she's with my-"

I slammed the glass of water down onto the table as soon as I drained down the last droplets of water; not bothering to care that I was a slave and shouldn't have behaved in such a manner. Looking back at what I had just done, I probably would have never done this if I really were my proper self.

"-child." I hissed, finishing the sentence for him.

"It's just... I don't know how to think or what to do right now." Viktor said, honestly. "The invasion of Ireland and everything has been slow in progress, Voldemort, Cho's pregnancy and... you." He looked away from me to break eye contact. All sorts of emotions evident in his voice. "I just don't know what to believe. It just... I don't know... something doesn't feel right."

"Cho's with your child." I muttered heartlessly with hardly a tone to my voice. "You must be happy."

"Happy?" he said, as if I were making some sick joke. "Yes. But something feels wrong." He looked back at me, eyes full of a sudden sweet serenity. He smiled. "To be honest, I always imagined that my child would be one that I was going to have with you. Our child would have had your chocolate brown eyes, your nose, my love for flying..."

My face somehow softened as I imagined the image he was creating in my mind of our child. It brought tears to my eyes as I realised just how close we were to that reality, except the child was not going to be born from me.

"You are right, Viktor." I managed to croak, as I felt my hot and angry emotion melt into a watery form.

He raised a questioning eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

I was doubtful that he was going to believe a word I was going to tell him, but I wasn't going to force him to believe me; I only wanted him to know the truth. Whether he was going to accept my words or not was going to be entirely his choice. I wasn't going to hate him if he didn't' believe me.

I took a step closer to him to close the gap between us. He took a step closer too, and I could feel his arm slither around my waist, before pulling me closer to him. We were in a tight embrace, body to body and I began to feel his body heat take over me. His skin felt so rough from the many battles he faced, but I felt comfort in the roughness. I couldn't believe how much I missed this feeling.

"Did you listen to myths and legends as a child, Viktor?" I asked. "Myths and legends of the Magic world."

"My mama used to tell me many myths and legends when I was a child before I went to bed." he said slowly. "But they were usually the appropriate ones, and she would leave out the gory details."

"Child pregnancy... theft." I hissed.

I cried into his chest.

I could feel him tense up as I hissed those words, and I could just about feel every muscle of his. His shirt began to get soaked. Lifting my head up and looking into his dark eyes, I could tell that he didn't particularly like this side of me, the one filled with so much anger, confusion and mistrust. But it was a side of me that I knew he was going to and had come to accept, because without ever seeing and accepting this side of me, he could never truly know and understand me, and I then came to realise that I was truly falling in love with him for loving and understanding who I really was, am, and will be.

I kissed his lips with every sort of emotion in me, and he kissed me back. I closed my eyes as he brushed my loose tendrils aside. I waited as I looked into his eyes, and I could see that he was processing those three words I had said to him. There was a swift change in his eyes, and I knew that he came to a realisation of what those words really meant. I had always loved him for his intelligence, the way he caught on on things. He was just beautiful in ever sense.

"Hermione..." he was down on his knees and he pressed his face against my stomach, then my thighs, wrapping his arms around my waist. A single tear formed in his eye as he suddenly looked up at me. Water then began to slowly drip from his eyes, and I felt the wetness on my thigh. "She did not... she did not hurt you did she?" He paused, already knowing the answer. "Oh Merlin... I am so sorry I left you here all alone. I wouldn't have... I shouldn't have left you alone... I never thought she would... she would bring herself to do this to a friend. Really, Hermione. If it wasn't for Voldemort's orders, I would have been by your side day and night. You know that? Yes?"

I took his hand in mine and broke the link of his arms around me, before following him down onto my knees so that we were level to level. I held his face with my hands and kissed him lightly on the lips, savoring every moment of it as I tasted his pain. The bitterness... Who would have ever thought I would find happiness from tasting something like that?

"I know you would never have left me, but I never stopped you from leaving me, love. You needed to go." I told him when we broke apart. I sighed as a thought came to me. "Viktor, promise me that you will not treat her any different from the way you do now when she gets back."

"But why? Didn't she hurt you?" he asked me angrily. "Is the child inside of her not ours? I hate her with every part of me."

"Yes and yes, but I don't want Cho to feel pained by the way you treat her. It will affect our child inside of her and I don't want our baby to suffer because of us."

He grabbed my waist and pulled me onto his laps. It was a rough gesture, but I could sense his desperation and agony. I leant my head against his shoulders as I tried to settle the madness inside of me, the myriad of emotions.

"Hermione... I have always wanted a child with you, but I never imagined it would be so this way." He told me softly. "Will you forgive me for what has happened to you? And I mean everything that has happened to you since we've been apart when I left you back at Hogwarts?"

"You have nothing to apologise for, Viktor." I said, as we sat there on the floor. "Why ask me to do such a thing?"

"Just tell me you will forgive me." He muttered, taking a hold of my hand and kissing it. "I will feel better if you do."

I smiled. "I forgive you."

He smiled back at that and kissed my cheek softly. After a moment, he held a grave look on his face. "Hermione, there is something you should know."

"And what is that?" I asked him.

"The so-called saviour that has emerged among the Irish... you have heard of the rumours, yes?" he began, a sudden glint of hope in his eyes. It was as if he were imagining the future, a future between himself and I. "If I am to believe my most trusted of sources..."

He had stopped talking, as if afraid of what he was going to say. In his eyes, I saw that he felt the hope was slipping away, as if it were nothing more than a mere dream made up by the madness of the moment.

"Go on." I urged him.

"He hasn't left us yet..." he whispered into my ears. "Hermione, Harry's alive."

...

The next week, screaming filled the house.

Cho had gone into labour. Although Viktor didn't want to, I told him to be in the room with her, and be there for her for our child. It was for the best and he did as I told him to.

It was a strange feeling sitting in my room by myself, knowing that my child was being born from another woman. I should have been in Cho's position, even with the pain and all, but with life being cruel, I was sat in my room in this position. I felt so helpless...

Time seemed so slow as I waited. I wanted to see the baby, to know that my child was all right. Even though the baby hadn't exactly developed inside of me during the pregnancy period, I felt a connection to my baby. As the screaming continued, I remembered the moment between Viktor and I the day before with a smile on my face...

_"Hermione?" Viktor managed to mumble as he kissed my lips._

_We were lying naked in the gardens, hidden from view by the hedge maze that stood near the end of the garden. According to Viktor, Cho had never come here before and wasn't going to expect them to be here either. He groaned as I nipped his neck, and I giggled as he gently rubbed my inner thighs. I still hadn't gotten used to the feeling of his hands there. It felt magical._

_"Yes?" I asked, when he got off of me._

_Viktor lay on the floor and I took this moment to straddle his waist. My orgasm from moments before hadn't faded yet and I found myself still shaking with ecstasy as I tried to control my movements. He looked at me as if he had never seen such beauty before, and I found myself blushing like I had a million times before under his gaze._

_"I was wondering... if our baby were to be a girl, what would you like to name her?" he asked me, with my hands in his._

_I smiled as he kissed them. "What names have you come up with?"_

_I leant down and kissed his forehead, nose then lips._

_"I was thinking, Viktoria, after me." He said, wrapping his arms around me. "It's a beautiful name don't you think?"_

_I rolled my eyes. "Never thought that you would be that vain."_

_He chuckled and kissed my lips. "Tell me your preference then."_

_"I was thinking... does Serena sound all right to you? I was hoping to name our baby Serena if she were to be a girl, because... I want her to spend her life at a time of peace and calmness... if the rumours we've been hearing are true... the time for peace and calmness is near... what do you think?"_

_"It's a beautiful name. If the baby were to be a girl, Serena it is. She's going to be as beautiful as her mother."_

_"Does Cho get a say in this?" I asked him, suddenly worried that she was going to wreck everything._

_"She told me I could name the child whatever I wanted to name it." Viktor said. "She doesn't seem to care."_

_I sat back up and his hands slipped from my back to the top of my thighs. _

_"Really?" _

_He nodded._

_I cocked my head to aside to feel my hair sway. "And if the baby were to be a boy?"_

_"I was thinking..." He gave me one of his smirks that I found incredibly sexy. "Viktor." _

_I laughed and playfully punched his chest. "Viktor! Honestly!"_

_He chuckled and grabbed my shoulders, before rolling me over so that he was on top. The smell of him reached my nose again, and I found myself a little faint, because I really loved how he smelt like. He nibbled my lips before kissing me passionately. I returned the passion, and suddenly felt as if the war was not even taking place, as if the world was just made for the two of us. He was the only person who ever made me feel as if we were the only two people to dwell on this earth, whether at a time of peace or war._

_"I was joking." he then said, still smiling. "Does Stanislav sound all right to you? I always wanted to name my child Stanislav if he were a boy. What would you name him?"_

_"I was thinking of naming him Hugo... after Victor Hugo, because it's linked to your own name." I said with a blush. "But Stanislav sounds beautiful. I like the way it comes out of your lips, Viktor." _

_I smiled back._

_"Hermione, I love you."_

_"Of course you do."_

_He chuckled before kissing me again, and I knew at that moment we were destined for each other- and that we were in for round two... I love round twos..._

An hour or so must have past before the screaming stopped. I heard a soft cry, and knew that the baby was born.

I jolted up, suddenly feeling worried. My heart pounded and I found it hard to breathe. My mind started flying all over the place as I wondered whether they were treating the baby all right. I also wondered how my baby looked. Did he or she have my eyes? Viktor's beautiful lips? My wild and curly hair? I wanted to see my baby.

I walked out of my room hurriedly, and towards the door that I knew Cho, Viktor and my baby was in. Had the mediwitch or wizard left? My heart pounded faster as I slowly opened the door. Cho was fast asleep and I saw that my baby was in Viktor's arms.

"Say 'Hello' to your mummy, Serena." Viktor said with the brightest smile I had ever seen. I could see tears in his dark eyes.

"Serena?" I whispered weakly.

My baby's very name brought tears to my eyes. I felt so happy.

There was a strange feeling inside of me. I felt like there was something inside of me that was about to burst, and it was at that moment that I promised myself that no matter what, Serena was going to see a brighter day without Voldemort. She had to.

"May I hold her?" I asked.

Viktor walked up and passed Serena to me, and I felt like I was going to collapse. Was I holding onto her too tightly? Was my skin too hot or cold for her to bear? Did she not know who I am?

"Merlin... she's so beautiful." I breathed.

"Just like her mother." Viktor said, kissing my cheeks. "She's got your hair, Hermione."

I chuckled as I saw the tiny curls of brown hair. The air seemed to leave me as Serena suddenly opened her eyes. She had Viktor's eyes. It was then that I wondered whether this was what Cho meant that I was going to thank her later? Either way, no matter how my dear Serena came to me, I was going to love her with everything I had.

Viktor wrapped an arm around my shoulder and smiled as he kissed my forehead. "Thank you, Hermione." he whispered into my ears. "Thank you so much for Serena."

**A/N**

**Took a while to update didn't I? My apologies. I had to rewrite this chapter several times because I really wanted to capture the emotions of the event(s). Each time I wrote it, it just felt wrong... I'm not sure about any of you lot who write stories as well, but every time I write, I try to capture the moments in its absolute essence, with all of the perfect emotions, feelings , words and descriptions.**

**I hope you enjoyed this one. And hope it was worth the wait. Flames and reviews are both accepted. Thanks to those of you have been hanging on to this!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N Sorry for the really really really late update. I have been very busy lately. This is the last chapter folks. I hope you like it.**

Twirling the stick I found in the garden with my fingers, I tried to capture the memory when I had last held my wand. It was supposed to be easy to remember, after all, I had spent more than half my life using a wand, experiencing the entire magical world with it. It had always been what had connected me and separated me from the rest of the non-magical folk. But I could not remember - my hand could not grasp the movements I had practiced so much, the many swishing and the flicks. I could remember the beautiful feeling of when I first cast my spell - the swell of my chest at the surprise of light shooting out of my wand, however, the physical feeling was absent. This frustrated me as I had always prided myself in my ability to so elegantly produce spells within an instant or so. And it was at this moment that I realised that this stick that I was holding was not my wand and in fact, just an ordinary stick. It slipped through my fingers and then dropped to the floor.

I can not remember how long it has been since I last left this house. In fact, I can not recall ever leaving this mansion since that house elf brought me here those many months... years ago? For some reason, I still had not gotten used to the feeling of being confined to one place. Every time I woke up, I found myself asking why I was here, how I had come to such a place. Many times, especially when I was with Viktor, I would and could imagine that I was not even here, far away from all of this mad havoc. If I closed my eyes, I swear I could walk all over the mansion without bumping into a thing, having memorised where everything was. I don't think the garden counts as having left this place at all, since it is essentially part of the mansion. In a sense, this mansion felt like hell within hell; almost like a prison, stuck in the midst of a war yet untouched and left almost pristine - only tainted by the very footsteps of the Death Eaters that came over ever so often. But then again, I guess staying here is much better than having to be outside where the fighting was happening. Sometimes, I do miss being outside, seeing the people I miss and doing the things I did without being restrained - but at the same time, I felt grateful for having been captured and locked in this place. A hell within hell; my beautiful caged home.

A cool breeze carrying the scent of the sleeping sun came through my window and got caught in my hair. This very air was the same air Voldemort and Harry were breathing, and this scared me. I caught some of my loose tendrils caused by the breeze with my fingers and brushed it over my ear. The wind tasted bittersweet and cold.

It was nighttime again and I was sitting by the window of my room, looking outside where the garden was. It had become a strange habit of mine since living in this mansion, being a way to take my mind off of things or to think through thoughts that were bothering me. Repetition and routine was not something out of the norm. A lot of time had past since the birth of Serena and I had lost track of the days. Tonight, the stars gave out an unearthly colour as its faint yet powerful light streamed down towards me. I could feel it on my skin and it was a cold feeling. It sent shivers all around me as I suddenly saw bits of darkness cover up my arm. A cloud must be covering a few of the stars... Lonely stars... To be honest, the entire view of what I was seeing was a scary sight... It was a scary sight in the sense that tomorrow night this very moment of the light streaming down into my room or onto me would be repeated, yet at that very moment, more people would be dead as a result of the fighting. It just made me think that maybe the war is pointless, because at the end of the day, everything was going to be the same as if nothing happened. The only difference was going to be the fact that less people were around and more pain and suffering was going to be there.

I turned my back on the stars to face Viktor, who was fast asleep on my bed. Ironically, he was sleeping so peacefully in the midst of the war. Even with the room dimly lit by the stars, I could still see that other than the blanket, nothing else was covering the beautiful sight of him. He was naked.

I stood up and walked over to him and could see the remnants of what some of the fighting had done to him. The curved scar near his left shoulder, was the result of his first fight against one of the bands sent out by the now defunct Order. He had been covering Cho from a blast after they had both somehow dropped their wands from a previous blast, and got some of the remnants of magically charmed bits of wood stuck inside of his arm. According to Viktor, it had been a spell cast by Ron. He had told me one time when he thought I missed him - that I was still in love with him. I had of course, assured him that I did not; Viktor was everything to me. There was a scar right next to his right eye too. It was the result from a fight between Cho and himself over me. Things had gotten a bit out of hand and Cho had gotten mad enough to fire a spell at me. Viktor managed to cover me in time, but got hurt from trying to protect me. He was still recovering from the injury, and according to Cho, the scar would not be there for long. Also, if you look carefully enough, you could see another scar on his chest, right above where his heart should be. It was also the result of a magically charmed object from the fight that had occurred when he had gone to Ireland. This one was apparently irremovable. It looked as if someone had tried to carve his heart out. Viktor never really told me how he had gotten that scar, but there had been a mention of spotting Harry. "What's done is done." he had said. Nothing else.

Grabbing the silk sheets, I slipped under the blanket and wrapped my arm around him. He was still sound asleep and felt so warm against me. This feeling felt like snow melting against my skin - consumed by warmth. Tingly, cool and beautiful. Kissing his shoulder, a sudden happiness began to fill me up as I tasted his skin on my lips. It was the thought that Viktor was always going to be there for me, to love and to protect me that made me smile so much. What had I done to deserve him? Especially at a time like this? I had always wondered why I managed to suffer the least out of all the people who had been fighting for Harry... I did not deserve such a life- but life chose me. I was going to have to make something out of this.

"Why aren't you asleep?" a deep and sleepy voice asked me, as I suddenly felt arms wrap around me and pull me into a tight embrace.

My face was squished against Viktor's chest and I could feel his fingers getting tangled in my hair as he brushed it. He felt so hard yet comfy; I liked this feeling of him, feeling his life. Without realising, my fingers began to trace the scar on his chest. It felt so weird in a way that made me nervous- and I could feel the pain this must have caused him. It shot up my arm in a slow and tingly manner. Whoever had casted this spell was a skillful wizard; anyone who touched Viktor's scar could feel the pain.

Being given no answer, I suddenly felt his hand above mine, stopping me from further tracing his scar. His grip was firm, but it did not hurt and there was nothing aggressive about his action. He brought my hand to his lips and he kissed it tenderly. His breath felt warm against my skin.

"Is Serena sleeping well?" he asked softly with a slight croak.

I shook my head.

"Cho came in earlier and took her away with her." I muttered, suddenly feeling slightly annoyed. I could still remember the light cries Serena made when she could not entirely recognise the feel of Cho's skin. Cho did not spend enough time with her to get her used to her presence, which was probably why she wanted to spend time with her tonight. Maybe Voldemort was getting a bit suspicious? Serena was still young and small, but in time, it was going to be obvious that she could in no way belong to Cho. "I think Serena's in her room."

"Hmmm."

Viktor's calloused hands gently rubbed at the fabric above my lower back as I looked into his half opened eyes. Even with his eyes half closed, he could still look into mine in a way that made me feel so good. His eyes were so dark and grave, giving him a serious and tough demeanor - I could hardly tell what he was thinking most of the time. I kissed his lips and he slowly kissed me back. Gently, but firm. One of his hands slipped into mine, and his fingers began to interlock with mine. His stubble rubbed slightly against my cheeks and it hurt a bit, but in a sensually pleasing way. I kissed him again before straddling him. He was all skin and muscle.

"I like this time of the day." he suddenly said, a slight devilish grin beginning to form.

"Why?" I asked suggestively, when I felt something hard against my butt.

He attempted to suppress a groan as I began to make slow rocking movements. He placed a hand on my boob and squeezed it; the other was resting on top of my thigh. He was beginning to feel harder and harder as I added a bit more force to my movement. He was beginning to look dazed.

"Not because of sex, but because of the way the light goes over your skin." he then said, looking like he was beginning to loose focuz. He grabbed my face and brought me towards him for a kiss. This time it was more forceful. His hands slipped under his flannel top that I was wearing, and he began to rub at my skin. "You look so beautiful."

As I sat back up, I slowly took my flannel top off and could see how entranced he was by my body, even with the scars and bruises all over. Apparently he found this sight beautiful. It was so strange, because I felt so broken and ugly. People tended to ignore the broken things in life and found pure and whole things much more aesthetically and emotionally pleasing, so I always wondered what Viktor saw in me. But then again, Viktor was different and I had known that from the start; he was special and seemed to have been made just for me, to make me feel better and accepted into this world. I personally felt like shattered glass that he was trying to mould back together. He always had and was gentle with the pieces of me that made me who I am. Even if it pricked him and made him bleed.

"Come over here." he growled, as he took my top and dropped it to the floor.

His hands slid down my back and pulled at my knickers. I moved a bit so that he could take it off for me. Soon, I felt him slip inside of me as he rolled me over, and I groaned as I felt his member stretched me. He put my legs over his shoulders before bringing his face close to mine. His eyes were tender with a tinge of lust and he kissed me as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Soon, he began to move in and out, but slowly. It was irresistible torture.

"Hermione, why are you so wet?" he asked me.

I rolled my eyes at him as I played with his hair, attempting to suppress a smile and giggle. We always began with that question these days. I found it such a turn on, like this was a game. Ignoring his question, I ordered him to stop torturing me.

Minutes went by and we were all over each other. Time did not appear to be on our minds. Groans and moans filled my ears, and Viktor and I were sweating all over. I could not help but grin as he looked up at me seductively, his tongue inside of me, his mouth sucking me. I grabbed the back of his head with my hands and pulled him closer towards me - I needed him. Closing my eyes to the sensations, I felt like I was going to shatter to pieces by the very look in his eyes. It was so intense. So delicious. So...

Suddenly, without a warning, the door to our room slammed open and Cho walked inside. I did not have the time to scream as Viktor suddenly covered me up with his body, wand in hand. We were like two deers caught in headlights.

"What the fuck are you two doing at this time of the day?" Cho hissed, looking slightly off guard and shocked. She was in her night robes, and her eyes were wide and surprised. The look on her face was then replaced by her usual angry and somber demeanor. She looked incredibly displeased.

"And what are you doing here at this time of the day?" Viktor asked, obviously annoyed at being interrupted; he had also not reached his climax yet whereas he had sent me off charts a half a dozen or so times. He quickly grabbed the pillow next to me and covered the both of us with it.

Cho rolled her eyes. "Never mind why I'm here, I can't get Serena to shut up. She keeps crying..." Cho then turned to me and glared. "Next time you two decide to fuck around, charm the door for Merlin's saker! You disgusting, vile, whore."

Before Viktor could say anything back to her as I was not in the place to argue back, Cho stomped off as she slammed the door behind her, but expecting me to follow after her.

"Fucking hell." Viktor muttered, rolling off of me. He then grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into an embrace. "What a turn off."

I noticed that his cock had softened and laughed before kissing his cheek. Viktor looked down at me with a raised eyebrow before gave me a look of annoyance.

"I'll be right back." I whispered into his ear, giving it a lick.

I grabbed his cock and let it go before making my way over to the door. Viktor tossed my flannel top towards me.

"I'll be waiting." he said, with a devilish look on his face.

"Hmmmm."

...

It was early morning now, but one could hardly tell inside the mansion as the entire place was well lit in every possible way. However, I was in my room and the curtains were closed so the room was obviously dark. Actually, it was just my room and the house elves rooms that were not lit that well. According to a rule book made by Voldemort that apparently existed, house elves and slaves were not considered human. Therefore, we were not treated as such but as animals. We were given just enough to survive in order to help serve the purpose of the Death Eater's and Voldemort's wishes.

Rubbing my eyes, I groaned slightly as I realised that I still ached from the activities of last night. The slightest of movements caused me to cringe slightly, but it a good way. It brought a smile to my face; it always did. Rolling to my side, I could sense that Viktor was not next to me. The feel of melting snow on a spring day was not there - his body heat. And suddenly I missed him. Where had he gone?

"Viktor?" I called out softly.

There was no answer.

I sat up and got off my bed before making my way over to the curtains to open them. Light poured into the room, and it burnt my eyes. Blinking and rubbing my eyes a couple of times, it took me a while to adjust to the light, and when I did, I smiled at the sight I saw outside.

Viktor was lying with his back to the grassy ground and Serena was sat on his stomach. I could not hear what was going on, but smiled even more when I saw the happy expression on his face that anyone could tell meant that he was laughing. The sight of the two of them together always brought a warm sensation to me. They would come in small waves, gentle and light, starting from the tip of my toes and rose up until it reached my heart. It was different to the sensations when Viktor touched me, but a good sensation none the less. They were both so beautiful.

"Hermione, put some clothes on will you?" Cho hissed, entering my room without bothering to knock. But then again, this was her place and she owned me, so I had no say in how she was to treat me.

I bent down to grab my flannel top, which was on the bed. Cho tossed me a pair of shorts. "Do you want me to do anything today?" I asked as I put it on.

"Nothing much for you to do today." She muttered. She then grimaced slightly. "But we have guests."

I was curious. "For what?"

Cho bit her lip, and for a moment, I could have sworn I saw the old Cho. She looked so serene, soft and frightened... confused even. I do not know how to describe her expression- her posture. She wrapped herself in her arms and cuddled herself as she thought about something. The behaviour was was exuding right now was as if she was not sure of herself. It was a side of her I had not seen in ages. But just as soon as I saw the old side of her, as she always did, she covered herself up with her distasteful one. Her hands dropped to her sides, tense and firm. Was there a tear in her eye? I strained to see if I was kidding myself.

"Not entirely sure to be honest. Just make yourself invisible today, I don't want you to get hurt." she then said quietly but just enough for me to hear. Her comment surprised me. "And apparently... apparently Harry's close by."

...

I don't know why I was panicking, but Merlin, I felt like my mind was going to explode! I could literally feel my heart beating in my chest as if someone was hitting me. Thump. Thump. Thump. The air around me felt so cold, but my hands were sweating. This hot and cold feeling left a strange sense of numbness within me... a strange thought. I felt like I was being sucked inside out. And this thought kept consuming me like a vacuum- that I could not control what was to happen next. Merlin... I never had any control of my life since Harry lost, but ever since Serena came into my life, control took a whole new meaning. It meant everything!

I pressed my ear hard against the thick wall, trying to listen to the conversation between Viktor and Cho. Serena was in the room they were in, so I was nervous. It was not because Serena was away from me; I always got to look after her unless Cho needed her for Voldemort. What were they going on about? Why were they being so calm? They hardly ever conversed... and they had been inside Cho's room for over an hour. Was something wrong?

I could not hear anything. Still. Hopefully it did not mean something terrible had happened. I sighed as I wondered how Serena was doing...

"She does not look like me enough for other people to believe she belongs to me. We have to figure something out." I heard Cho mutter loudly with annoyance.

I could imagine her throwing something about with her hands, or using her wand to cast a spell to damage something. She always did whenever she got really mad or stressed out.

Viktor did not answer her. Well, I could not hear him say anything.

"Well?" Cho asked him. I guess she was talking loudly since I could hear her. "Polyjuice potion will never work. And spells will hardly fool the Dark Lord. For Merlin's sake, Viktor, say something!"

"Serena looks fine as she is."

"But she's got that fucking whore's hair!"

"Don't call her a fucking whore."

"You've been fucking that bitch haven't you? She's practically naked every time I walk into her room!"

I blushed at that comment. She had a point.

Viktor appeared to ignore her comment and carried on. "My mother's side had a few curly haired people. We could just say that Serena has gotten my mother's side's genes."

"Good point. We'll have to make it sound convincing. It's the only solution we have for now."

"Hmmmm."

There was a moment's pause. Were they done?

"That whore's listening to our conversation."

I froze. How had she known? Dark magic? ... The door to their room suddenly opened in a slow and creepy manner. I guess that meant that I should go inside. I was about to make my way in when Viktor walked out with Serena in his arms. He looked tired.

"She's asleep." he told me, avoiding my eyes for a moment.

"She hardly had any sleep last night." I told him softly. I tried to catch his eyes. "Not until I got to her."

"Do you want to hold her?" he asked me, finally looking into my eyes.

We soon found ourselves in the living room. It was dead quiet and not a word had passed between us since we got here. Serena was in my arms as I sat on the sofa and Viktor was doing push ups. I watched the way his muscles tensed and relaxed as he moved up and down. He was trying to get something off of his mind, that much I could tell.

"Word has it the third big fight is coming soon." Viktor suddenly said. "Remember the people who came in earlier for some meeting? We discussed things..."

I had not seen them clearly, but I did notice Draco and Fenrir Greyback crossing the living room to get to the meeting room. I did not recognise any of the other men and women in the room.

"You mean Harry-"

I stopped myself as I realised the meaning of this.

"Yes. It's true. He is back and nearby and from my close sources, he's on his way to confront Voldemort. He's almost got all of the new horcruxes Voldemort's made."

I took in a deep breath, hoping that yes, this was the final moment - it had to be. After all, so many people had suffered from this - too many people had. But what did Viktor mean by 'almost all of the new horcruxes'? Did Harry not realise there was one more? Was there one more? He suddenly stopped doing his push ups and stood up. He walked over to me and sat by my side.

"I hope tomorrow hurries up then." I said, kissing Serena's head. "And I hope Harry kills him."

...

I could hear screaming outside; loud noises caused by the destruction from spells fired by a wizard's or witches' wand. It was a terrifying array, ranging from the last breath of a person's to the maniacal laughter of a murderer - the explosions. I held Serena close to me, afraid that the noise may shatter her to pieces. The fear of losing her had always been with me since the day of her birth. The sound of her breath was what assured me that she was still alive and well. Somehow, she managed to stay asleep, although I could see that she was beginning to awake as she was frowning... just the way Viktor frowned. And suddenly, I felt like screaming myself. Fuck.

"What's going on?" I asked Viktor, fear evident in my voice as he suddenly walked into my room. I knew what was going on, but it was the only thing I could think of saying to him.

Viktor did not answer me immediately; worry was etched all over his face. His wand was by his side and I could see that his hand was white from holding it so hard. A million thoughts seemed to be going through his mind. His eyes seemed to pace around the room in place of his actual body. Suddenly, he did not seem like the grumpy and emotionless person I knew - he looked terrified.

"I think Harry's here." he then said, seemingly looking all around the room. It was as if he was looking for something.

"Here as in... here?" My eyes widened as I understood what he meant. Why in Merlin's name was Harry even here? "But I thought that the fight was going to be near Voldemort-"

"Change of plans." Viktor said with a hint of annoyance. He sat down next to me and ruffled his hair. I noticed a stream of blood pouring from a cut on his hand. "There was still one horcrux left, and it's with me."

"With you?" I reached for his hand, but he brushed me away. "You mean... you gave it to Harry?"

Serena began to cry.

"No... not yet. That would blow my cover." he muttered, angry that I did not understand him. He ruffled his hair even more. "Cho and Harry are fighting outside right now. The new Order and Voldemort's army is outside too. Voldemort's on his way. He's going to come directly to me first because of the last horcrux."

I was about to say something, but Viktor interrupted me with a desperate kiss. His mouth pressed hard against mine and his stubble pricked my skin. It brought tears to my eyes. He then shoved his tongue inside my mouth, and I accepted it, knowing that he needed me right now. Whatever it was he was going to do, he could not do it without me. And just as soon as the kiss occurred, it ended, leaving me with my mouth open and thoroughly confused and afraid.

"The last horcrux." he suddenly said, slipping a small bag into my hands. He looked terribly sorry. "I'll lead Harry here. Keep it safe."

"And you?" I asked, suddenly worried that this was the last time I might see him. I brushed the thought aside.

"Can't blow my cover yet. Harry needs to believe I'm with Voldemort, because that way I can lead him to him without fucking up." He then leant down and kissed Serena, before kissing me again. "I love you two."

...

I could hear footsteps outside. At first it was soft, but it soon got louder and louder. I could sense the desperation of the person from the sound of the steps. It was as if this person was in search of something, and needed it as soon as possible. Viktor had left a spare wand with me, and I had it ready just in case. My heart was thumping hard and I was scared - scared of what this person could do to me. There was a sudden pause and I heard someone breathing hard. The footsteps were slow now, and I could sense the person coming towards me. I was about to fire a spell when I saw someone at the door, but stopped myself as my instincts told me not to. Why had I not fired a spell? Was it because I had forgotten what it meant to fight? This one move could be the end of Serena and myself.

I saw rough and wild black hair - black, round, rimmed glasses. The person was a young man and he had a few cuts and bruises and did not look as if he had changed in a long time. Merlin... could it be?

"Harry?" I asked, too hopefully.

"Huh? Her-Hermione?" the young man asked me just as surprised. "I thought you were dead!" The irony in that!

He ran over towards me and went down on his knees to be at height with me, and he embraced me tightly. I embraced him back with my free arm and was careful as to not crush Serena who was in between us. It appeared to me that Harry had come up here on his own as nobody else was here.

"Who's this?" he then asked, when he noticed Serena. He was still out of breath and he looked worried.

"My daughter."

He looked even more concerned as the look on his face told me what he had assumed was right. I knew that he could not help it. Anyone else would have assumed the same, seeing the position I was in. "Did someone... hurt you?" he asked.

"No..."

Harry looked like he wanted to ask more, but he stopped himself. His hand rested on my shoulder. He probably assumed that I had more things to ask him than he did to me. After all, he had just come back to life and was making his second attempt to kill Voldemort, whereas little old me had been stuck in this mansion as a slave to the Krums during the war, having sex with a gorgeous man almost every other day. Voldemort... that reminded me of the horcrux Viktor gave me. I should give it to Harry. Viktor had probably led him here.

"What brings you here?" I asked him.

It took him a while to realise what I said. Something did not feel right. His mannerism and expression was totally wrong. I know that we had spent so long apart from each other and had been affected so brutally by the war, but even all of that would not have affected Harry so much as to cause him to behave in a way that was beyond recognisable to me. I had known him since my first year at Hogwarts. Surely he had not changed that much? Suddenly, the little bag in my pocket felt heavier. I knew exactly what Harry wanted right now. But the problem was if this Harry was the Harry I assumed he is.

More footsteps were suddenly heard. The person or people were frantically making their way towards us. A sudden loud shout and a scream. A loud crack was heard. A wand fight was occurring outside.

Harry gave me a deep look into my eyes. He looked troubled and was beginning to look desperate. The hand on my shoulder was tense.

"You're not Harry, right?" I asked.

Dumb question. Bad question. This person was going to kill me. And before I knew it, a spell shot at 'Harry' from the outside of my room, sending him crashing against the window, shattering the glass. Serena let out a scream of terror. She was now wide awake.

"Hermione?" Harry was standing by the door, looking surprised by my presence. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Harry? This must be the real Harry! Then who had just shattered the glass? My eyes widened. Cho!

"Hermione, is it with you?" Cho asked, clutching onto her arm. She had a mixture of terror, annoyance and worry all over her face.

"Get the hell away from her!" Harry yelled when Cho tried to make her way towards me.

I screamed as Harry fired a spell at her. She hit the ground with a thud. Merlin. What the hell was Cho doing here? And why had she pretended to be Harry? I had to tell Harry to stop! Even if Cho had been awful to me, I had to tell Harry to stop.

"Hermione, do you know where the horcrux is?" Harry asked me, seriously.

"Don't you dare give it to him!" Cho hissed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Serena kept crying. I held her closer to me to get her to stop. Where was Viktor? Was he all right? I felt as if my heart had fallen into tight crevice. No matter what I tried to think about, I did not seem to be able to get rid of the feeling.

"Where is Viktor?" I asked.

"Give me the horcrux, Hermione!" Cho ordered, crying even more.

Harry gave me a stern look not to and pointed his wand dangerously at Cho. She seemed oblivious to his threats, seemingly welcoming her potential death.

"Shut up or you will regret it." Harry said aggressively. "I won't finish you off."

Cho gave me a maniacal look and appeared close to ignoring orders from Harry. She really must have lost her mind. Even though she had treated me badly, I felt sorry for her.

"Where's Viktor?" I asked again.

Before either of the two could answer me there was a blast outside. It brought me to my feet, and when I looked outside, I could see that Viktor was in a fight with Voldemort. Voldemort must have figured out that Viktor had given the horcrux away, but Voldemort's problem was that he did not know to whom Viktor had given it to.

I was frightened and scared for Viktor. The air in my lungs were leaving me... I wanted to go down and help him. There were a ton of screams and explosions - still. Harry looked at me frantically and begged me through shouts to give him the horcrux, but all I could do was think about how I was going to save Viktor - but I was immobile. And suddenly, there was a green flash. Viktor crumpled to the floor. I screamed.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled through my screaming, trying to grab my attention. "Hermione?"

I felt like fainting, my mind was blank and my heart felt so empty. And then suddenly, I was filled with pain and I could not breathe. The last bits of air was gone.

I could tell that Cho and Harry thought I was crazy, and I would understand them as they had not witnessed the event. Looking at Cho through my sudden stream of tears, she was sitting in a foetal position, seeming to have succumbed to dumbness because of the sudden shock of the fighting. She looked like a dumb child, lost and hopeless. It was as if she had given up on life. And me? Was I still screaming? I could not comprehend what I was doing. I could hear Serena screaming in the background too, and I wanted to be the comfort she needed, but other than the screams of Serena and I, all the shouting Harry and the people outside were making and the explosions were non-existent.

"herm..."

"mione..."

"HERM..."

"MIO..."

"HERMIONE!"

I snapped out of my moment of blanking out and picked up the pouch with the horcrux and passed it in a blind manner to Harry, whom without even acknowledging his thankfulness as he was blinded by having to destroy the horcrux, took a strange object out of his pocket and rammed it into the pouch. I guess I was never going to find out what was inside - the pouch exploded.

A terrifying scream could be heard outside, being heard from all parts of the house and outside. I had never heard such a broken and depressing sound before. Voldemort was suffering from the last spoonfuls of life; death was greeting him. Serena was still screaming. Harry was smiling, wand at the ready and soon he was out of the room, presumedly to make his way over to Voldemort and to finish him off. And suddenly, the world seemed black.

...

When I woke up from the sudden blackness, I found my head lying on top of the dead body of Viktor and Serena was by my side, seemingly better. I do not know if I blacked out or not, but I appeared to have come here on my own accord with Serena. There were a ton of dead bodies surrounding us. The living seemed so few, but cheerful.

Viktor looked dead. He is dead. I placed my hand on his cheek and wondered what he must have thought about when the green light hit him. I could feel my heart leaving me to be with him in the afterlife. I felt so emotionless now...

Although the world was going to be a better place now, I cannot imagine what I could do with Serena as all I had thought about in my mind was my future life with Viktor and Serena, not a life without him. I felt so empty even in the midst of this happiness over the victory of the good - the death of Voldemort.

Light streamed down from somewhere and hit Viktor's face and it caught my eyes. I turned around towards the mountains by the castle as it was where the light was streaming from and saw a myriad of warm colours filling up the white spaces of the sky - it was morning. I turned to Serena who appeared to be looking towards the sky too. The morning sun. It was a time for new beginnings.


End file.
